Reply #11: Chertoff and DOJ's Monitoring of Modems

[bigtree]

Nov. 28, 2001 PT

>>>>Previously, federal law said that "a cable operator shall not disclose personally identifiable information concerning any subscriber." Section 211 of the USA Patriot Act changes the law to read: "A cable operator may disclose such information if the disclosure is ... to a government entity."

Other USA Patriot Act sections mean that police can obtain an Internet Protocol address, which identifies a cable modem subscriber, as readily as they can learn someone's telephone number.

Chertoff said the government also has used its new powers to obtain court orders for logs from Internet providers that are outside of the court's traditional jurisdiction.

"We've obtained court orders directed to out-of-district Internet service providers for logging information.... We've used the nationwide search warrant provision to obtain relevant information," Chertoff said. "We've used the emergency disclosure provisions to support our use of information that was provided to us by an Internet service provider."

http://www.wired.com/news/conflict/0%2C2100%2C48711%2C00.html