BAD FBI!

[Professor S]

I'm split on this:

Positive:
- Information crime is mammoth right now, and at the current rate it will only be a matter of time before most people can expect their identity to be stolen at one point or another in their lives.
- Electronic data is often key to stopping the "bad guys" like pedophiles, organized crime and especially terrorists who organize and communicate on-line.
- In the current proposal, officials would need a warrant to access an individuals activity. Currently officials need a warrant to seize and review paper documentation, so why not electronic?

Negative:
- In current cases, the officials don't already have the information in your possession before the warrant. This would be like having to send the FBI copies of every magazine you read and financial move that you make as they are made. If this were anything but electronic, this would outrage everyone.
- It relies upon those in power acting responsibly with this information and never accessing it without just cause. That is too much responsibility to give the government, and the opportunity for "Hoover-style" abuse and gaining leverage over someone is massive.

Conclusion:
In the end, I'm 70% against this measure. It wouldn't be the end of the world and likely it wouldn't be abused (in most known cases Patriot Act abuse was overblown or fictional) but there is a distinct possibility that it could be and the effects would be life changing. The risk vs. reward analysis is not in favor of this. We need to find a better way to combat information crime, but holding a two year record of everything you do on-line is not the solution.