[e-privacy] [Gonzales Wants ISPs to Save User Data]

[Anonymous via Panta Rhei]

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Subject: Gonzales Wants ISPs to Save User Data
Date: 19 Sep 2006 11:36:48 -0700

Associated Press / September 19, 2006
Gonzales Wants ISPs to Save User Data

WASHINGTON -- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Tuesday that
Congress should require Internet service providers to preserve customer
records, asserting that prosecutors need them to fight child
pornography.

Testifying to a Senate panel, Gonzales acknowledged the concerns of
some company executives who say legislation might be overly intrusive
and encroach on customers' privacy rights. But he said the growing
threat of child pornography over the Internet was too great.

"This is a problem that requires federal legislation," Gonzales told
the Senate Banking Committee. "We need information. Information helps
us makes cases."

He called the government's lack of access to customer data the biggest
obstacle to deterring child porn.

"We have to find a way for Internet service providers to retain
information for a period of time so we can go back with a legal process
to get them," he said.

Gonzales and FBI Director Robert Mueller have met with several Internet
service providers, including Time Warner Inc.'s AOL, Comcast Corp.,
Google Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Verizon Communications Inc.

The law enforcement officials have indicated to the companies they must
retain customer records, possibly for two years. The companies have
discussed strengthening their retention periods _ which currently run
the gamut from a few days to about a year _ to help avoid
legislation...

The subject has prompted some alarm among Internet service provider
executives and civil liberties groups after the Justice Department took
Google to court earlier this year to force it to turn over information
on customer searches. Civil liberties groups also have sued Verizon and
other telephone companies, alleging they are working with the
government to provide information without search warrants on subscriber
calling records....

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