The government wants Internet companies to keep records of
who you’re emailing and what websites you’re visiting, and what you’re
searching for on the web. Attorney
General Gonzales held a meeting this week with Internet company executives to
attempt to work out a deal in which the companies agree to keep customers’
records for two years, and which would be easily accessible to the
government. If the deal does not work,
the Justice Department will seek to get legislation passed forcing Internet
companies to comply.
The proposal from the Justice Department is rather vague,
but will mean massive databases will be kept on who’s emailing who, what people
type into search engines, and more information will be kept on record. While Gonzales justified this with the need
to crack down on child pornography, even government officials have contradicted
this claim, citing ‘terrorism’ and general law enforcement purposes as
justifications.
Do you feel safe knowing that the same regime that spies on
millions of Americans without warrants, that rounded up tens of thousands of
Muslim, Arab, and South Asian immigrants, and that openly tortures people will
be keeping tabs on what you do on the internet?
The World Can’t Wait! Drive Out the Bush Regime!
(Source: ‘U.S. Wants Companies to Keep Web Usage
Records’, NY Times, 6/2/06)