A Person's Internet Rights

As I gather my stories from articles, I want you to know that the titles of each of my articles are links.



A civil liberties group (not the ACLU) on the Internet has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Department of Justice. They want to know if the government is secretly gathering information on the surfing habits of people in America. The Electronic Freedom Foundation is quoted saying:

Although Internet users reasonably expect that their online reading habits are private, the DOJ will not confirm whether it collects or believes itself authorized to collect URLs using pen-trap devices.

These pen-trap devices can be used to collect numbers that are dialed on a phone or can collect email and IP addresses. The foundation's prime concern is that the government won't answer the question and tell the foundation if it is collecting information on what people are doing online. The foundation feels that pen-traps can be used with a much lower standard when compared to wire taps. The foundation claims that pen-traps can be used even if there is no reason to believe that a crime has been committed.

Rather than go to a judge and give facts leading to a finding of probable cause, which is required by the Constitution to get a search warrant, all the government has to do is certify -- sort of promise to the court without showing any fact -- that it believes the information it is going to collect is relevant to the investigation.

The Patriot Act codifies the legal use of pen traps on email addresses. The government doesn't reveal how far it will go when collecting information under the act. Can they collect URLs or not? For that reason, the foundation has made a request for an answer and requires the Department of Justice to act in 20 business days.

I would say they have a logical complaint. I don't want government going through my Internet history without probable cause.