Originally posted by rikytik@Apr 12 2003, 04:31 PM
Jessica, I'm of two minds about this kind of stuff. I was living in France when the government insisted on retaining 40 bit encryption and prohibited importing Internet Explorer with 56 bit or more encryption, not to talk about PGP or other encryption programs. The idea was that the government wished to maintain its ability to monitor terrorist activity. Along about 1999 the government finally gave up and approved 128 bit encryption, figuring that the volume of data going over the internet defied monitoring. In those days you couldn't download 128 bit encyption program from the US if you came in over a French ISP.
I guess I don't mind if big brother monitors to catch bad guys. What this thread started out with was the idea that a router could be illegal. ...or that connection sharing could be illegal. Personally I don't think so. An IP is an IP, even if it is translated behind a router to an internal IP such as 192.168.1.1, the default for LinkSys routers.
The ISP assigned IP is still defined and specific, traceable to the subscriber. I dont' know of anyone who disguises his e-mail address tho I guess a lot of us would like to, given the high volume of porno and pharmacy spam.
That said, there are some disconcerting things going on in DC, I hope the US voters will wise up next time around.
i'm not trying to change the subject...or anything like that.
but what the patriot act 2 does, is ..the govn't well now be able to hold anybody indefinately if suspicion..and also revoke someones US citizenship...along w/ a bunch of other stuff.
like you, i had no problems w/ patriot act 1...when it was more along the lines of badguys....but now its getting closer to being able to target ANYONE.
but alas...thats for another thread.
i think the router stuff of this particular topic is bad too...since i use one.