LAT: Internet execs reaction to DOJ records request: "alarm"

[DeepModem Mom]

Online Privacy Again at Issue
The government asks Internet firms to keep records longer to track terrorists and child pornographers. But some fear misuse.
By Joseph Menn, Times Staff Writer
June 2, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO — Big Internet and telephone companies are girding to fight an unprecedented call by the Bush administration for them to keep detailed records of customers' online activities for two years.

The request by Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III would dramatically expand the government's ability to track what people do online and with whom they communicate.

It follows disclosure this year that the Justice Department had solicited potentially billions of online search queries from some of the same companies and that the National Security Agency had requested calling records of virtually all U.S. customers.

Gonzales and Mueller asked Google Inc., Time Warner Inc.'s AOL and other companies to preserve the data at a May 26 meeting, citing their value to investigations into child-pornography distribution and terrorism....None of the Internet companies has publicly opposed the request. But they noted concerns over privacy in statements Thursday. People familiar with the company executives' reaction to the Justice Department's request described alarm — tempered mainly by assurances from Gonzales and Mueller that the discussions were preliminary.

Many of the companies appeared to be emboldened by recent precedents set by Google and Qwest Communications International Inc., both of which resisted broad requests for data from the Justice Department and the NSA, respectively....

http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-internet2jun02,0,622125.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[yellowcanine]

1. Gonzales has lost his mind. Maybe we do need to impeach him.

Forget Bush. Impeach Gonzales.

[aquart]

2. Gonzales can be simply fired.

He's an appointee. He wasn't elected.

[yellowcanine]

5. But only by Bush. So let's impeach him if Bush won't fire him.

If Bush still won't fire him THEN we impeach Bush.

[mtnester]

3. I would just have an inconvenient data loss

that can easily be accomplished

Backup? Our system failed at the same time...you know..computer goblins and all

There are ways to outsmart the fox.

[Robbien]

4. If this is just a request, the net providers should not comply. A warrant

should be required before any compliance.

What bothers me about this article is that it appears Gonzales is meeting with the net providers in the first place. From the tone of the article meetings such as this are a regular thing.

So 1984ish.