FlyingDutchman used our newssubmit to tell us that according to the New York Times website, the Bush administration is planning the following proposition;
Internet Service Providers should help build a centralized system to enable broad monitoring of the Internet and, potentially, surveillance of its users:
The proposal is part of a final version of a report, "The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace," set for release early next year, according to several people who have been briefed on the report. It is a component of the effort to increase national security after the Sept. 11 attacks. |
The President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board is preparing the report, and it is intended to create public and private cooperation to regulate and defend the national computer networks, not only from everyday hazards like viruses but also from terrorist attack. Ultimately the report is intended to provide an Internet strategy for the new Department of Homeland Security.
While the proposal is meant to gauge the overall state of the worldwide network, some officials of Internet companies who have been briefed on the proposal say they worry that such a system could be used to cross the indistinct border between broad monitoring and wiretap.
It will be interesting to see if this proposal has any change of being realized. Not only would it be a technical challenge (since the Internet has thousands of ISPs), ISPs and their customers are bound to be concerned about the privacy implications. Read the complete article here (registration required).
Source: The NY Times
