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more on EFF Announces New Privacy Tool
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Tue, 08 Feb 2005 09:41:20 -0500
------ Forwarded Message From: Brad Templeton <btm () templetons com> Organization: http://www.templetons.com/brad Date: Mon, 07 Feb 2005 18:15:29 -0800 To: David Farber <dave () farber net> Cc: <jezor () tourolaw edu> Subject: Re: [IP] EFF Announces New Privacy Tool On Mon, Feb 07, 2005 at 05:36:41PM -0500, David Farber wrote:
------ Forwarded Message From: "Prof. Jonathan Ezor" <jezor () tourolaw edu> Date: Mon, 07 Feb 2005 17:32:38 -0500 To: <dave () farber net> Subject: RE: [IP] EFF Announces New Privacy Tool One implication of this, which is likely intentional, is that without logs, ISPs *can't* respond to subpoenae seeking to identify who was using a particular IP address at a particular time. While that makes life easier for the ISPs (and makes it easier for the users to be anonymous), it makes it much harder for companies to identify and catch true cybercriminals. {Jonathan}
This statement suggests this is not anticipated. A free society such as ours has made a conscious, not accidental decision, to protect the right of anonymous speech, fully aware that anonymous communication can be used by those out to do ill, including "true cybercriminals." Our society has decided that it is more important that the vast majority of citizens, who are honest, get the true freedom of speech that comes from being able to say things anonymously. This is, of course in part due to the many famous productive uses of anonymous speech that are found throughout history and in the founding of the USA and drafting of its fundamental documents. But the Supreme Court has upheld this principle many times, it is not a modern invention. You may be wanting to suggest that we revisit this decision, which you may certainly do -- even anonymously. But for now, part of the decision is that yes, it may be harder to catch some wrongdoers, but that the rights of the people to anonymous speech trump that. However, as every digital step we take in the modern world gets recorded and logged in a form that can be subject to warrant or subpoena, the balance shifts away. Eliminating logs -- something librarians have done for ages as part of a belief that freedom to read and privacy over what you read are part of their fundamental mission -- simply restores the balance to what it was in "olden days" when these logs weren't there at all. You may wish to present arguments that other balances have changed as well, and this is part of the debate. But saying "Anonymity may protect bad guys" asks a question our society has already answered. ------ End of Forwarded Message ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as lists-ip () insecure org To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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- more on EFF Announces New Privacy Tool David Farber (Feb 08)