Pentagon drops Internet ID plan

NBC NEWS ^ | Nov. 22 | By Declan McCullagh

[FBD]

By Declan McCullagh

Nov. 22 — A Defense Department agency recently considered—and rejected—a far-reaching plan that would sharply curtail online anonymity by tagging e-mail and Web browsing with unique markers for each Internet user. The idea involved creating secure areas of the Internet that could be accessed only if a user had such a marker, called eDNA, according to a report in Friday’s New York Times.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

bump

[PistolPaknMama]

that would have required at least some Internet users to adopt biometric identifiers such as voice or fingerprints to authenticate themselves.

And who gets to decide who the internet users are that need to be tracked? According to the government, most of the population belongs to some kind of "hate" group. Republicans, FReepers, all Second Amendment groups, Christians, etc., barf, etc.

[billybudd]

Actually, they probably already have this system in place and are using it. The only thing they are trying to figure out now is when would be the right time to tell the public about it. Obviously, this first trial balloon didn't go so well, so they'll wait a bit more until the public comes around to the idea (maybe a little more preaching about "preventing terrorism").

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

A Defense Department agency recently considered—and rejected...

For now.

[God is good]

What a waste of money that would have been. Why don't they stop targeting the entire American public and start focusing on reasonable suspects instead? Sometimes it looks as if our government is trying to destroy itself and the people it represents.

[FBD]

"They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." --Benjamin Franklin, 1759

What a prophetic statement!

Who today, has this kind of verbal and visionary clarity?

[God is good]

He's not running for office anywhere in this country if he exists.

[Cicero]

During the clinton years, the White House, the Secret Service, and the FBI all kept an eye on FreeRepublic, and there were a few instances where people were visited by the Secret Service after making the wrong kind of jokes about violence against politicians.

(Never joke about bombs in an airport, and never joke about violence against politicians.)

After lurking for a while, I trusted Jim Robinson back then not to knuckle under and give away anyone's real name and address, regardless of how much pressure the clinton FBI or SS might put on him. But there are many ways to trace users back to their computers. It the authorities REALLY want to keep tabs on someone they can certainly do pretty much whatever they like.

Since there are millions of people on the internet badmouthing the government and/or politicians in various ways every day, it's hardly worth their while to track most of these people down.