FBI wants records kept of Web sites visited

If we were all forced to have an electronic monitor embedded under our skin, this too would help the FBI track down "child molesters"---and anyone else they decide to look into.

it is very funny to me now to hear about how to track people and what they are doing. there was a time they could track cell phone users and their messages and now you can buy a cheap cell phone and use it and throw it away and who is going to track anyone that way? favorite and necessary tool of terrorists. not to mention you can buy guns at a 'gunshow' and they can not be traced to the buyer. concealed weapons are now legal and if a business does not want people to carry guns they have to post a sign prohibitting guns.

i couldnt believe my eyes when i went to the library and saw a sign 'no guns' along with the 'no smoking' sign. i notice there is no sign on public transportation.

as i see it, any attempts at trying to track people and what they are doing rather than making it easier to stop, deter or capture criminals is going to do nothing else but limit the confidentiality and anonymity of innocent people.

by the way is this only happening in america?

How easy would it be to frame someone using this sort of data? You can't place an actual person at their computer when such visits to those kinds of sites occur. This type of data is worse than polygraph or hearsay testimony.

All you would have to do, if you didn't like someone is ask to use their computer and when they aren't around you log into these kinds of sights. You probably could do it without them even knowing you are using their system too. This is just one method of how such information could be abused.

as i see it, any attempts at trying to track people and what they are doing rather than making it easier to stop, deter or capture criminals is going to do nothing else but limit the confidentiality and anonymity of innocent people.

by the way is this only happening in america?

I agree, though, im my opinion, an ideal human being has nothing to hide.

.

Now that you mention this, indeed there would be no reliability to this information at all. You could just hack into the person's computer or the database and alter everything at your will. And then we think about it, its already enough that the internet provider must record everything everyone does on the internet for a long time, they probally wouldnt worry much about the security or accuracy of the system... who would have proof of that thet did not store information properly or allowed thenselves to be hacked?

So, even if a person is not ideal, but just innocent, why has he anything to hide?

I think the web should be policed , but by how much is open to public debate. I dont know how much of my privacy I would consider loosing. Stopping one nasty paedo from committing his hideous crime is adequate reason but do we trust our administrations enough for them not to abuse their power. Tax fraud ,drug trafficking, would they, could they, turn their backs on it in reality? if by this allowance it exposed another crime.

The problem is, the only thing the government is good at is making black markets. No matter if they made it a death sentence to advertise child porn, people would still do it. Not only that but the incentive to create it would sky rocket. When you make something risky what follows is more profit. So if you really want child porn to go away, don't police it with charging companies who hold these files because you will inevitably make people rich off it because they will find a way to get around the laws. If people are making lots of money from it, it means more children are being victimized not fewer. Think about it, we have had a war on drugs for how long? If you ask any law enforcement officer involved in the prevention of drug trafficking they will tell you they haven't even made a dent in preventing drug selling or use. You really think child porn will be any different? Honestly no, and making any restrictions will cause the problem to get worse not better.

So, even if a person is not ideal, but just innocent, why has he anything to hide?

This could be fine, depending on how you do it.

Your web company already knows every website you visit. They don't necessarily keep records. Presumably the FBI would need a warrant to request the records of a person. In which case it's just an extension of them getting a warrant to go into someones house and search their computer.

Have you heard of the term "privacy"?

Sure. Pedophiles and terrorists have no right to privacy.