Monday, February 12, 2007
Big Brother Loves You, Too
Just in case people thought that the Administration's defenders in Congress could get a bit more desperate in seeing civil liberties disappear absolutely, here's Lamar Smith (R-TX) attempting to completely eradicate Internet privacy as we know it.
A bill introduced to the US House of Representatives would require ISPs to record all users' surfing activity, IM conversations and email traffic indefinitely.
The bill, dubbed the Safety Act by sponsor Lamar Smith, a republican congressman from Texas, would impose fines and a prison term of one year on ISPs which failed to keep full records.
And why this massive coverage, you ask?
"A crime is still a crime, whether it occurs on the street or on the internet," said Congressman Smith.
"In this age of increasing digital and technological sophistication, cyber-crimes and cyber-terrorism pose a serious threat to the US. Law enforcement and the private sector must be prepared to deal with these crimes."
Maybe it would be quicker if we just all got a chip put in our heads that shocked us every time we had nasty thoughts. Come on; we all know what this is really about. From Ashcroft's attempts to wear Rob Zicari's ass as a hat to Gonzales's porn squad, this administration has been unhealthily obsessed* with taking down the adult entertainment industry. Oh, and would you look at that rider:
The bill includes a separate clause that would force the owners of sexually explicit websites to include warning labels on their web pages, or face jail.
Also included is a 20-year "jail tariff" for anyone ordering child pornography that crosses state borders, with a $150,000 fine for the ISP that allowed the transaction to take place.
Yup; porn, porn, and more porn. Obviously, it's worth it to have your private conversations, your e-mails, and every thing you have ever said online recorded and categorized so that no inappropriate sexual activity ever goes on anywhere.
*And you know that people are overstepping their bounds when I defend sick fucks like Zicari.
A bill introduced to the US House of Representatives would require ISPs to record all users' surfing activity, IM conversations and email traffic indefinitely.
The bill, dubbed the Safety Act by sponsor Lamar Smith, a republican congressman from Texas, would impose fines and a prison term of one year on ISPs which failed to keep full records.
And why this massive coverage, you ask?
"A crime is still a crime, whether it occurs on the street or on the internet," said Congressman Smith.
"In this age of increasing digital and technological sophistication, cyber-crimes and cyber-terrorism pose a serious threat to the US. Law enforcement and the private sector must be prepared to deal with these crimes."
Maybe it would be quicker if we just all got a chip put in our heads that shocked us every time we had nasty thoughts. Come on; we all know what this is really about. From Ashcroft's attempts to wear Rob Zicari's ass as a hat to Gonzales's porn squad, this administration has been unhealthily obsessed* with taking down the adult entertainment industry. Oh, and would you look at that rider:
The bill includes a separate clause that would force the owners of sexually explicit websites to include warning labels on their web pages, or face jail.
Also included is a 20-year "jail tariff" for anyone ordering child pornography that crosses state borders, with a $150,000 fine for the ISP that allowed the transaction to take place.
Yup; porn, porn, and more porn. Obviously, it's worth it to have your private conversations, your e-mails, and every thing you have ever said online recorded and categorized so that no inappropriate sexual activity ever goes on anywhere.
*And you know that people are overstepping their bounds when I defend sick fucks like Zicari.
