If you are one of those people who are concerned about your privacy online, this should definitely get your attention. A representative from Texas has recently introduced a bill which is supposed to combat child pornography, but it will also make ISPs track their users. The information that ISPs would track on you would be such things as your name, address, phone number, and even your actions online.

A Republican congressman has introduced legislation that would require Internet service providers (ISPs) to keep information about their users’ identities and, possibly, their actions online.

Earlier this month, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) introduced a bill (H.R. 837) with a stated purpose of combating child pornography but the legislation also includes a measure that would force ISPs to monitor their users, an item that has long been on law enforcement’s wish list. The bill mandates that the U.S. Attorney General determine the exact regulations, but the rules should “at a minimum, require retention of records, such as the name and address of the subscriber or registered user to whom an Internet Protocol address, user identification or telephone number was assigned, in order to permit compliance with court orders.”[more]

Tags: Privacy