Free Republic

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. law enforcement agents are following the rest of the Internet world into popular social-networking services, going undercover with false online profiles to communicate with suspects and gather private information, according to an internal Justice Department document that offers a tantalizing glimpse of issues related to privacy and crime-fighting. Think you know who's behind that "friend" request? Think again. Your new "friend" just might be the FBI. The document, obtained in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, makes clear that U.S. agents are already logging on surreptitiously to exchange messages with suspects, identify a target's friends or...

The United States is building an elite cyber defence team to guard the nation's public and private computer systems, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Wednesday. "We need the best brains we can bring to bear on meeting the challenge," Napolitano told computer security specialists at a premier RSA Conference. "We are building one of the best teams anywhere, but our success depends in no small part on our ability to collaborate with the private sector." She challenged those at the conference to join forces with the department and help teach people the importance of protecting themselves from online crooks...

An internet protest group has launched an attack on Government websites in a protest against the proposed internet filter and censorship of some pornography. The attack, dubbed Operation Titstorm by the group known as Anonymous, brought down a number of Government websites this morning, with the Parliament House site remaining offline well into the afternoon. Anonymous claimed the attack was to highlight moves by the Government to ban the import of films featuring female ejaculation (which was classified as urination) as well as films featuring small-breasted women, over fears such films were simulating child pornography. "More importantly, Anonymous does not...

Hundreds of Australian websites will fade to black this week in protest against the Federal Government's proposed internet filter, which some claim will put Australia on a par with countries like China and Iran. The Federal Government wants to pass laws to force internet service providers to block banned material hosted on overseas servers. Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says he intends to introduce the legislation in the first half of 2010. But organisers of the Great Australian Internet Blackout protest say the mandatory internet filter will not protect children from harmful content on the internet and will waste taxpayers' money....