[September 19, 2011] EDITORIAL: Proposal raises ID theft risk Tweet Sep 19, 2011 (The Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A Big Brother bill quietly moving through the House of Representatives would effectively end Americans' online privacy. HR1981, the Protecting Children from Internet Pornographers Act of 2011, would force Internet service providers to maintain a national database of every user's name, address, phone number, credit card information, bank account numbers and IP address. "The records would involve all internet users everywhere, and they would be available to law enforcement for any purpose," a coalition of 30 privacy groups warned in an open letter to Congress. In our view, HR1981 might be the worst threat to civil liberties since the USA Patriot Act. It grants law enforcement an unprecedented power to invade our privacy and puts every American at risk of identity theft, all without keeping a single child safe from sexual exploitation, which certainly is a worthy goal. Pedophiles should be caught, prosecuted and punished. It's no wonder law enforcement agencies, spearheaded by the Justice Department, are salivating at the surveillance powers granted by this bill. We live in an ever-connected world. Even when our smart phones and tablets are turned off, these devices continue to leave a digital footprint of where we've been and with whom we've communicated. It's not just the guilty who have reason to fear; it's anyone who holds a so-called radical idea or challenges government power. Of course, there's also the practical concern that our personal information could be stolen by hackers, terrorists or foreign governments. Earlier this year, Sony admitted that hackers had stolen the personal information of more than 100 million customers. FBI Director Robert Mueller has called cyberterrorism a threat to national security that is "real" and "rapidly expanding." And security experts have attributed at least two U.S. power outages to computer hackers working on behalf of the Chinese government. Like the bill's 26 congressional co-sponsors, you might remain steadfast: Child pornography should be fought at any price. Then, we recommend you read the Justice Department's May 2006 report, "Child Pornography on the Internet," which concluded, "A computer-savvy user can access these (child pornography) groups by using techniques that hide his/her identity by concealing his/her true IP address." HR 1981 won't stop pedophiles. However, it reminds us that liberty is ever-vulnerable in the ongoing tension between security for all and personal freedom. What do you think? What's your opinion on this topic? Send your comments to [email protected]. ___ (c)2011 The Tribune (Seymour, Ind.) Visit The Tribune (Seymour, Ind.) at www.tribtown.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]