Which ISPs are spying on you?

http://www.wired.com/politics/onlinerights/news/2007/05/isp_privacy

Wired News, with help from some readers, attempted to get real answers from the largest United States-based ISPs about what information they gather on their customers' use of the internet, and how long they retain records like IP addresses, e-mail and real-time browsing activity. Most importantly, we asked what they require from law-enforcement agencies before coughing up the data, and whether they sell your data to marketers.

Only four of the eight largest ISPs responded to the 10-question survey, despite being contacted repeatedly over the course of two months. Some ISPs wouldn't talk to us, but gave answers to customers responding to a call for reader help on Wired's Threat Level blog.

Marc Rotenberg, the executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, says ISPs should be more circumspect about keeping user data. Maintaining detailed data for long periods of time makes any internet company a huge target for law enforcement fishing expeditions.

"From a user perspective, the best practice would be for ISPs to delete data as soon as possible," Rotenberg said. "(The government) will treat ISPs as one-stop shops for subpoenas unless there is a solid policy on data destruction," Rotenberg said.

The results:
AOL, AT&T, Cox and Qwest all responded to the survey, with a mix of timeliness and transparency.
But only Cox answered the question, "How long do you retain records of the IP addresses assigned to customers."

Snip

"Internet surveillance recently got easier, as the deadline passed last week for ISPs to equip their networks to federal specifications for real-time surveillance of a target's e-mails, VOIP calls and internet usage -- as well as data like IP address assignment and web URLs. While law enforcement currently prefers to ask for stored internet records rather than get real-time surveillance, that balance may shift once the nation's networks are wired to government surveillance standards."

hello agent mike and friends, nothing to see here, move along

This isn't a private medium - never was. And it's run by crooks who'd sell Mom for $0.00000003. I guess you just have to accept that when you log on. Ain't freedom wonderful?

I don't.

Love my country, hate its gov't.

Time to end it, and start another. It can't be fixed. Not at this late date.

I just assume they are and act accordingly. Just like in the old Soviet Union. I listened to the stories of my elders and how they lived under surveillance-first by the Nazis, then the Soviets.

doesn't that mean you're doing what they told us to do, i.e., "Watch what you say"?

It curtails free speech. No question.

Q: How do you play Russian Roulette?

A: You have six people in the room when you tell anti-state jokes and you don't know who the informer is.