US DOJ for Fresh Power to Read Computers Remotely

The Department-of-Justice of United States has sought an alteration in procedures related to cyber-crime with which FBI can easily acquire authority to remotely infiltrate the PCs of alleged criminals to collect evidence because it mayn't be known where exactly a PC is located, a problem, which's continuously rising since increasing number of crimes are being carried out online using codes that hide the perpetrators' identity, published washingtonpost.com, May 10, 2014.

In DOJ's view, it was necessary to have the new authority so child pornographers as well as other criminals could be found who by leveraging advanced technologies concealed personal identities. The said technologies were particularly proxy servers, which hid a crime PC's real IP, alternatively innumerable hijacked computers forming a network called botnet.

However, according to digital rights activists, DOJ's proposal to be empowered with computer hackings leads to worries of online security maintenance as well as the Fourth Amendment safeguards vis-à-vis irrational confiscations/searches.

Worries can also result with respect to diminished privacy online, as the new power could considerably increase cases where law enforcement may execute clandestine searches over sensitive databases stored on people's PCs. There are usually plentiful private information of end-users on their computers, therefore it's urgent that law strictly restrict law enforcement from conducting clandestine electronic searches, elaborates Staff Attorney Nathan Freed Wessler from the American Civil Liberties Union. Cio.com.au published this, May 10, 2014.

Almost a year has passed since the exposures of surveillance programs from USA's National Security Agency when the DOJ suggestion has emerged.

According to Law Professor Stephen Saltzburg of George Washington University, possibly the proposal is seeking one social method of investigating crime with simultaneous restriction of information leakage which must really be kept secret. Bloomberg.com published this, May 10, 2014.

Prof Saltzburg said that although the proposal's intent appeared rational, yet empowering officials with apparently installing malware onto even ingenuous Americans' PCs and reading their private data was reason enough inviting worry.

In Wessler's opinion, perhaps many Americans wouldn't agree to have authority install program onto their PCs devoid of taking their permission; it was a broad power they desired. Bloomberg.com reported this.

» SPAMfighter News - 5/20/2014