What happened to mail-forwarding? (Score 1)

I must question the long term goals of Carnivore- it may only check email now, but in 5 years what will it be checking? Next time a bomb goes off in Oklahoma City or the World Trade Center who is going to oppose the FBI when they say 'We're already scanning all mail for To: and From:, think of the safety if we just look for 'Bomb' as well". Allowing the FBI to install this software in ISPs is heading down a slippery slope. I don't disagree that law enforcement should have the ability to look at an individual's email if there is sufficient previous evidence that the individual might have committed a crime. What I do worry about is where this is going to take us and how little it would take to get to email being captured based on content rather than the user.

Carnivore should be eliminated and in its place all ISPs should be required to have the ability to forward a specific user's email to the FBI in presence of a warrant. Carnivore intentionally gives the FBI the ability to scan all internet messages for any content, but we are supposed to trust that the FBI will not use 99% of that functionality. If that is the case then do not give them the ability in the first place.

This is still the early stages of the internet and the government is trying to stake out as much ground as it can before laws come into effect that will limit their internet activity. This is a clearly a case of it and we must fight for every bit of freedom we have left, though it may not be much. The primary focus of the FBI and related agencies is to protect the citizens, not their rights. Until this changes we as aware individuals must limit the ability of the FBI to infringe on our rights, and that means that Carnivore must be replaced with a more focused system of tapping emails.