Government Plans to Fine Internet Companies for Refusing Wiretaps

[The Straight Story]

Seeking to foil terrorism and criminal plots, the Obama administration wants Congress to adopt legislation that would fine Internet companies for not going along with Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) intercepts of electronic communications.

A federal task force recommended a proposal that would penalize businesses like Facebook, Google and others that don’t comply with wiretap orders authorizing the government to spy on Americans’ emails and messages.

Under the proposed plan, a company could face a series of escalating fines for not turning over information sought by the FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies. The fines would begin at tens of thousands of dollars and, after 90 days, would double every day for noncompliance.

The FBI has cited increasing use of the Internet, rather than phones, for public communication as the reason for its need to monitor online traffic. Not having the ability to tap into Internet communications will result in “a very real risk of the government ‘going dark’ resulting in an increased risk to national security and public safety,” said FBI Director Robert Mueller in U.S. Senate testimony. The agency’s general counsel, Andrew Weissmann, has said that wiretapping the Internet is currently the FBI’s “top priority.”

http://www.allgov.com/news/controversies/government-plans-to-fine-internet-companies-for-refusing-wiretaps-130501?news=849906

[winter is coming]

1. The government's been angling for this for decades.

Apparently, getting warrants isn't a "top priority".

[GeorgeGist]

2. Be afraid!

[marmar]

3. .........

[Newest Reality]

4. Warrents are going out of style, ey?

Basically you get a fine unless you help violate a person's Constitutional rights. Sounds like collusion in the commission of a crime.

Seems like a mile stone on the other side of the Rubicon.

I'm still not sure if everything on the Net is not being filtered through the NSA anyway. That's what I hear, but if so, then this tactic is merely to have ISP's help rat on people in order to narrow down a suspicion generated by the surveillance algorithms sifting through all the emails, browsing, VOIP traffic, etc.

I want it to be publicly known that I totally love our large, elder, male sibling and swear unending and strict, sincere fealty to His Bigness and All Seeing Eye. Nothing at all to hide here! Nothing I tell you.

May you all avoid room 101.

Now for some Victory Gin, it's ++Good!

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. WHOA!!!!

That is big.
And a perfect way to get the Internet providers pissed at the Gov't....
assuming, of course, that any such providers decide to not happily give the Gov't anything they ask for.
But then, won't the customers be pissed at the providers?

Hmmm..interesting dilemma.