Police Want Backdoor Access to Private Data

I'm always amazed at the miracles they pull off every week on NCIS. Track cells phones instantly, hack Federal websites with no problems, and get bank records almost before they were asked for. I guess the cops watch CBS too and want that NOW...

isnt what they are asking for an invasion on peoples privacy?
or in other words agaisnt the law?

and anyway this would just mean ill have 2 pc's 1 conected to the internet for email's and other for playing games with no wifi i dont liek the idea of them being able to snoop at everything we do

That sounds like a wonderful idea, letting police have instant access to private information without having to go through the ordinary legal processes to obtain it. Can't wait.

This could be argued to be unconstitutional

police only access doesn't exist. If the police can access it, anyone determined enough can.

with this request enabled, who is going to set up the perfect spooof ruining someones life first, with false data- because it wasn't the actual user they nab for something?

They want to be the Big Brother who is watching you.

They'd better stay away from my backdoor.

That technology already exists. It is called a warrant.

If they can only obtain the information after getting a proper warrant, then I see no problem with this. I believe the problem is that the various governments, within the United States, have all forgotten that they must obey the U.S. Constitution, as well as the various Federal and State laws. The "stick notes" issue is a glaring problem, but it is one that has problem been occurring for some time.

While there is no guarantee of privacy in the U.S. Constitution, the third, fourth, fifth, and ninth amendment do cover the grounds that would give people protection from unreasonable searches and seizures. The problem is, all too often, politicians and enforcement agents of the government tend to believe that if right or protection is not written in black and white, then it does not exist. Those people seem to never pay attention to the ninth amendment.

I believe it is time for the people to stand up and demand better protection from unreasonable government intrusion. The people of the United States are not the enemy.

Setting up a systen in which one group of people has exclusive access to this wide a range of personal information makes that group of people the holy grail for neer-do-wellers and schemers. Let's be honest cops are not known for thier computer savvy. Not only do I not trust police with that kind of power, I don't think they would even utilize it competently.

I don't understand the fuss on this one. Not like we don't have other branches of the government that can just break all the rules at the drop of a hat in the name of security.... err wait nvm we do.

Screw that. As long as we have open source things like TruCrypt and Linux our data should be quite safe, even if they manage to plan a back door on Windows.

I am a Canadain but i know most on this are american. and what ever the states does usually Canada follows along like a little puppy so.

Isn't this against your First Amendment to the United States Constitution which has your right to privacy or something like that. because if they are accessing your computer which is in your house with out a warrant is that not breaking and entering. Even if it is over a digital line. Yes i understand that internet providers are supposed to keep record of places been for like 5 year like they said. but that is still your property until a judge says they can use it for an investigation. thats like just any cop walking in to your doctor's office and telling them to hand over your medical records with out permission. it would be the same thing with internet providers if they just let them in to look at anything they want. I would also believe the FBI are on a different scale then just your down the street police station. because if your being investigated by the FBI you must have done allot more serious shit to get them pissed off at you.

Police abuse every priveledge they are given and now you expect them to not abuse this one? Have you ever tried to hold a police department responsible for their wrong doings? I have and let me tell you, the system doesnt let you. The police have a free pass at everything and nobody holds them responsible. Expecting the people not to revolt if this even gets close to a vote, would be foolish. No agency is above the law. if you hold civilians to the law, officers, city officials, elected officials should be be held to teh same standard.

It's important that they are asking, just so they can be told NO. Any site that is setup for police only has the ability to be abused not only by the police but also by some computer hacker.
Almost all computer based evidence is and should always be considered circumstantial. Think of how many zombie networks have been setup to do mass damage unbeknown of the computer owner, but now the police think they can somehow tie that information directly to the user of the computer. Its just a lazy way to get data and if they don't have the evidence to get a warrant, then they need to keep looking and following the laws.

Maybe if we lived in Germany..this sort of thing should not happen in the usa though.

There are two types of cop. One was a bully in high school, failed to get into college, and likes the idea of being a bully with a gun. The other is the kid who got picked on in high school, didn't get into college, and wants to have a gun so they can see what it is like to be a bully.

Neither type can be trusted with unfettered access to my private information.

Huh, abusing privacy laws? Well then I'd say cut them off from getting the information at all and see how well they do on their own. Then maybe they'd appreciate what they have and quit whinning about the access they don't.

I'm sure they also want unlimited free donuts for life but it ain't gonna happen.

sounds like they want to be able to just violate poeples right to privacy...

The First Amendment is your right to privacy from Government (which includes local). However, it doesn't protect privat companies from abusing your privacy. So all it takes is a private company created by the feds to do exactly what this article says and they have just found a way to trample over your personal privacy.

I would imagine it would make it far easier for them to plant a word flag or site watch program on you or a stealth cookie of some sort to check whether you use certain words or attitudes in your contact with friends, Facebook, blogs especially as regarding to your respect (or justifiable lack thereof) of our vaunted leaders.

This would make it far easier for them to shut your internet access down, lock up your bank accounts, or generally prevent you from instigating or joining some sort of mass revolt against all of the Big Brother crap going on in DC.

Why do you think Homeland Security Secretary Janet Incompetano's staff wrote all of their notes about how their biggest fear was armed Americans (especially veterans) and not Islamist terrorists or foreign governments?

Our greatest enemy and the greatest threat to our lives, our families, our homes, and our liberty is not suicidal religious fanatics, foreign powers, some criminal thug, or some random act of nature...it is our own government.

There is some good and bad.

I think the idea of having a police private network is a really good idea and could help expedite several processes.

HOWEVER, the 'back door' idea is terrible. Not because I believe the government is evil
(I'm not crazy or as the crazies would say or I'm an idiot for not seeing the obvious), but because a single person could stand to gain quite a lot from abusing it.

ESPECIALLY if it's an automated process that doesn't require any other authorization or have any in-place locks.
Just like anyone else a policeman could be a stalker, a murder, a thief/hacker, etc. etc.

The police are largely too stupid to be trusted with that kind of responsibility. The fact that they suggest it is almost enough of an argument against it. The fact that they create a hackable back door to a computer and haven't considered that testifies against the intelligence of the people suggesting it. The fact that they don't consider themselves human, and capable of error also argues against it (Police abusing power)...It's almost like saying, we need a key to every home in order to go make sure sometimes, or something like that.

And how, exactly, do they plan to make such backdoors police-only? A special code? Right. Last time I checked, there's a little thing called gaming piracy which deals with breaking codes. Not to mention someone could just write a virus to mess with the known opening.

Seems like they want to put a giant "HACK HERE --->" sign on every computer.

Oh, and the actual hackers they're targeting with this? Do you REALLY think they'd use a system with these holes? Switch computers, OS, deleting/altering the backdoor, A STANDARD FIREWALL. Seriously pointless. This wouldn't catch anyone.

Why is it that legal system seems completely and utterly inept when it comes to anything technology.

Another method for corrupt cops to get paid? Selling personal data? And what happens when hackers get into it? Because they will...

i will move out if they do this. we don't want a police state. also do they the how much this would cost. they're crazy and want to much control. we're not supposed to fear police but they make it real easy to fear and hate them