Comments for FBI Calls For ISPs to Keep Browsing History Logs

FBI Calls For ISPs to Keep Browsing History Logs

2010-02-05T21:16:13Z

The FBI made it clear this week that it wants Internet service providers to keep track of your web surfing behaviors. According to the CNet article on the topic, the agency invoked the likes of busting child pornography in support of its call for monitoring, but the move will likely be met with calls of "big brother" and resistence from ISPs.

The bureau is pushing for ISPs to keep a two-year backlog of "origin and destination information," emphasizing that it was looking to keep logs of routing, not content.

]]> No details are currently available on the exact information the FBI is calling for, as much of the report comes from CNet's Declan McCullagh, who attended the meeting on Thursday where "law enforcement representatives spoke". McCullagh quotes Greg Motta, chief of FBI's digital evidence section, as saying that issues of privacy and technical feasibility have shaped the request.

"The question at least for the bureau has been about non-content transactional data to be preserved: transmission records, non-content records...addressing, routing, signaling of the communication," Motta said. Director Mueller recognizes, he added "there's going to be a balance of what industry can bear...He recommends origin and destination information for non-content data."

While the emphasis is being placed on "routing" information and not "content", a lot of content can be gleaned from these connections.

Comment from Johanna on 2010-11-22

2010-11-22T19:11:29Z

"So if the choice is big brother versus the unknown, I might choose big brother. But then again I might look for a service that I knew I could trust."

Aye... there's the rub. Who can you trust who also is not subject to court orders and subpoena. History shows us that if you give any agency, especially governments, unlimited power to 'protect' the public that they may very easily be the very ones you need protection from. The very people slimy enough to reach the upper echelons of power can also be the most dangerous.

Comment from IP Changer on 2010-09-18

2010-09-19T02:56:38Z

While you can use an encrypted proxy or IP changer to hide your web traffic, the company providing that service can be subpoenaed just as easily as your ISP can.

The only way around that is to use an offshore server. However, keep in mind that when you use these services, they can track everything you do. Depending upon their business model, they might make money from a subscription or by mining your date.

So if the choice is big brother versus the unknown, I might choose big brother. But then again I might look for a service that I knew I could trust.

Comment from Bugzee on 2010-08-12

2010-08-13T01:15:53Z

Ofcourse there is more and more VPN servises when the goverment waanna peek in everyting u do. read ur emails and so on based on a terrorists threat witch is so filled with lies that it makes me puke. how many of the ppl on guantanamo bay were/has ben found guilty? none i think.

and i hate phedofiles more than anything but goverment can give more money fort such projects like that tv-show donno whats it called who finds phedofiles online and then set them up at the kids home exellent :). but how big is that threat? anybody have any stats? and if so like i said better give money to organizations that 24/7 sit try catch them but.
dont come try put that bullshit terror threat or phedofilethreat so i loose my privacy. how many terrorists use vpn lol. since the biggest threat is from afganistan goodluck get a connection out in the mountains. and 9/11 they just got lucky but have to give em credit for pentagon. cool for 10-15 goatherders to hit the heart of american army. and then usa invade irak that never have threatend to atack USA ever. anyways bet 90% of the talibans comunicate by ordinary mail not VPN's

and its not just if im for or against downloading pirated stuff this will go so much further til we have no private life left. rather loose the 2 more skyskrapers than the other option.

Comment from PR articles on 2010-04-15

2010-04-15T20:52:34Z

Of course it's going to be met with resistence. Security is one thing, but privacy is important, too. And Ann Nonomous, do you really want the FBI to know everything about you?

Comment from Robin on 2010-03-09

2010-03-09T11:04:17Z

Methinks that Ann Nonomous may have been ever so slightly tongue in cheek ;)

Comment from J Thomas on 2010-03-05

2010-03-06T04:33:21Z

Ann Nonomous, thank you for giving me permission to see everything you do on the internet. I want to assure you that I will not abuse this privilege but will use it wisely, and not in any way that is likely to hurt you unless I think it is for the common good.

Comment from Ann Nonomous on 2010-02-12

2010-02-12T21:30:43Z

I think Justin is exactly the type of person that needs to be tracked by the FBI. If you gotta hide what you are doing...you shouldn't be doing it.

Comment from ConnectionVPN on 2010-02-06

2010-02-06T17:14:26Z

"Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government's purposes are beneficient. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding." - Louis D. Brandeis

Because of the rise of these and other threats to the Internet world wide, more and more people are turning to solutions such as our VPN proxy https://connectionvpn.com/

Comment from r4 ds on 2010-02-06

2010-02-06T10:02:49Z

Hi,
The FBI argument will be that more data will allow for better policing of criminal activity, but that’s also the problem.The FBI already has detailed files on each and every one of you. The problem for them is some of that stuff that the FBI has collected on you is illegal.

Comment from seanfournier on 2010-02-05

2010-02-06T07:38:05Z

use www.proxify.org to help in the anonymity of web related browsing.

Comment from negresss on 2010-02-05

2010-02-06T03:54:03Z

justin, it's time to take a break from the internet, seriously.

Comment from justin-noel.myopenid.com on 2010-02-05

2010-02-05T23:04:25Z

Would using a VPN service hide you or would the VPN service companies be required to track activity as well? I would imagine that some companies wouldn't do it, especially if you get an offshore VPN company.

You could also roll your own using OpenVPN if you happen to have your own server somewhere. For example, I have some Amazon EC2 instances. I have OpenVPN installed and can just always connect to it. Then, my ISP can't ever see anything. Is Amazon required to track connections from my instance to the rest of the world? That would be a whole lot of logging for them to track all inbound and outbound traffic from those thousands of virtual servers.

Comment from justin on 2010-02-05

2010-02-05T22:25:33Z

I'm overjoyed that we are finally able to sacrifice our privacy and civil rights for the comfort of security.

Comment from Nimit Kashyap on 2010-02-05

2010-02-05T21:52:58Z

I think it should have implemented long time back, still better late then never.