FBI Wants New Internet Powers!

[Skip]

The FBI isn't content with existing laws allowing nearly carte-blanche survellience of internet traffic upon demand. Now they want all web developers to build back-doors into every piece of software used for communications on the internet!

The also are demanding ISPs allow them "wiretap" access (which they already have), and "any new services that do not support a back door for police would be outlawed!"

This would be the biggest threat to Internet privacy ever! How can you trust law enforcement agencies not to abuse these powers, when they can then spy on everyone with impunity?

Already too many people have access to too much personal information. Where will it end, and WHY oh WHY can't we spy on the spies? Why can't we see this same information about those we employ in our government?

We must fight this new legislation!

http://news.com.com/2100-1028-5172948.html

 

[ken]

SSL

 

[Guest]

I saw this earlier. I couldnt beleive it! I just hope and pray this doesnt go any further, I barely feel safe on the net as it is. And the Internet is international, is the US going to make itself a terrorist again by attempting to bully other countries to develop similar legislation?

Man, I wish things would get better already, these days good news seems so few and far between.....

 

[Ono Nadagin]

Under the FBI's proposal, Internet companies would bear "sole financial responsibility for development and implementation of CALEA solutions" but would be authorized to raise prices to cover their costs.

Thats the last paragraph of the link......

There is no way this will pass... privacy advocates and mainly the cable companies lawyers as well as all cable subscribers will be vocally opposed to this.

I say we are weeks away from cabe internet companies start a petition.... Saying if they want it they must pay for it themselves and both political parties will be forced to vote for the money from the homeland sec budget.

And Cassini, I am better off then before... through my own hard work... I did get a tax refund from Bush... I liked it a lot! I am neither a rich person nor a CEO.... Just a person that realizes his dreams through hard work.... in hope of someday being amoungst the members of the evil rich upper class whom shoulders can afford to be the scape goat of the have nots

 

[ken]

completely, 100%, totally unenforcable.

they dont even have the manpower to make sure that every web developer (in the usa only, presumably) backdoors their stuff, nevermind analyse all the data they would(nt) get.

im not backdooring shit anyway & if the fbi wants to argue about it being unenforcable, they are welcome to try & get meh.

 

[ken]

and yeah, if you really want to piss them off, use encryption (https, ssl, pgp, etc)

 

[Skip]

Ken, according to what I'm reading into the new law, you'll have to hand the authorities the encryption keys if requested as well.

In other words there will be NO secrets OR privacy on the Net, except for our government officials of course! You know those guys who make these laws to apply to everyone except themselves!

The true irony here is the FBI already has access to all this, but building more backdoors into software is what they really want so they don't have to justify their intrusions to anyone. They won't need to go before a judge to get an ok to wiretap cause all they'll have to do is use their special key loaded browsers/search engines to find/review anything passing on the net...

That's how I see it happening.

 

[ken]

yes, but where will they get the people to enforce it?

how does this apply to anybody outside the usa?

where are all the people to read every single communication on the internet?

its unenforceable.

its also just an 'FBI wish list', i doubt it'll ever become law.

 

[ken]

ability to wiretap usa isps will probably become law, although you'd hope that they'd need a warrent to do it, in the current climate they may just be able to mass wiretap.

putting backdoors in every internet application will never happen though, there are so many problems with that, i dont even wanna start typing about it, but it is a total non-starter.

 

[ken]

although it wouldnt suprise me if a few developers already bug their software for the fbi/cia/nsa (aol, msn, etc)

 

[HarryNugz]

unenforceable.....hardly, that's where selective use would come into play! An agent can now use this as part of his investigative arsonal. Any task force dealing with narcotics, cyber crime, etc....
could also use it and they will. Your local detective can use it against you in gathering evidence. Just like they run your info in a traffic stop, they'd routinely tap your packet to see whats coming and going to and from your computer.

 

[stoned amish]

i'd love to raise a barn up the dudes ass that thought that one up!

LEAVE US ALONE!!! we're being good.

 

[ken]

well, the internet software bit is unlikely to get enforced, how would they enforce it outside the usa?

and whats to stop usa developers from moving offshore to release their software to bypass the regulations?

imagine what would happen if american software companies had to get their software approved by some government body, but nobody else did.

it wouldnt look too good for the american software industry. especially if it isnt done very efficiently.

 

[Skip]

"whats to stop usa developers from moving offshore to release their software to bypass the regulations?"

Good point, however, just as they now limit the export of encryption software, they can just as easily restrict the import of non-compliant software.

Now you're gonna say ppl can just download it over the net, but of course that won't affect microshit and those other big players who already have been compromised by the US gov't....

In fact they probably want the backdoor open on software around the planet so they can snoop everywhere!

Just like the US can shutdown web domains and shutdown guidance systems on airplanes and missiles, you bet your booty they can snoop thru the backdoor "windows" microshit has put everywhere. (and if they can't they're pretty stupid not to have insisted upon this).

 

[ken]

the limits on the export of encryption software didnt work either

remember PGPi ?

it'd also probably inspire a few more open source developers to write secure internet messaging programs, that would become more popular, especially with those that need to use them.

it could never apply to open source programs.

and there's the other issue of hackers, kiddies, foreign inteligence agencies, etc, discovering and exploiting these backdoors.

but i think the main deciding point will be an economic one, us software developers will not want the higher costs & the increased delays in development of software, when their foreign competitors arent affected by the regulations.

yeah i gotta accept tho, limiting the import of non approved software could be quite nasty, but that'd get a whole load of other people objecting to it too.
it'd also cause a lot more work in terms of enforcement, etc. of course foreign online software sales would also increase.

i still think these regulations are unworkable in their current form, although several aspects are likely to be implemented.

again, i'll repeat my first comment, its time to learn how to use encryption.

 

[ken]

for anyone concerned about their security while browsing or posting on this site, it seems Skip has enabled encryption here

use this link -

https://www.icmag.com/

notice the 's' after the http.

then your isp will have little chance of being able to snoop on you for the fbi (or anybody else), because the connection will be encrypted.

they will still be able to see that you visit icmag.com, but wont be able to see what you are reading or posting

you should see a security warning, because the site is using an 'untrusted' certificate, but dont worry, accept it, its still just as encrypted

 

[dreams]

mmmmmm

mmmmmm

fck the fbi

 

[filth water]

Dang nabbit !!!

Dang nabbit !!!

I guess they know about all that porno I looked at then.

 

[Skip]

for anyone concerned about their security while browsing or posting on this site, it seems Skip has enabled encryption here

use this link -

https://www.icmag.com/

notice the 's' after the http.

then your isp will have little chance of being able to snoop on you for the fbi (or anybody else), because the connection will be encrypted.

they will still be able to see that you visit icmag.com, but wont be able to see what you are reading or posting

you should see a security warning, because the site is using an 'untrusted' certificate, but dont worry, accept it, its still just as encrypted

I totally forgot to mention that, Ken! Thanks for pointing that out!

We didn't have the encryption on the first server ICmag.com was on, but when we moved it a couple of weeks ago, the new server was setup with encryption!

Hope that helps some of you sleep easier!

Only prob I see it that it pops up a warning for every new page you load. Anyway around that?

 

[ken]

my browser doesnt, mozilla firefox, it allows you to accept the certificate, then doesnt pop up another warning.

its a good idea to upgrade to mozilla firefox anyway http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

for Internet Explorer, you can turn off the message on every page, by going into your security settings (Tools Menu -> Internet Settings -> Security tab -> custom level button) then scroll down to "Display Mixed Content" (about halfway down the list) and select Enable.