Big Brother Wants to Read your Email; A. Skoble

Big Brother Wants to Read Your E-mail by Aeon 1. Skoble S ome people concerned about privacy vio lations on the Internet object that many Web site operators collect and use informa tion about visitors for demographic research and, yes, advertising. Although "anonymizer" services are available, the simplest way to pre serve one's privacy from such operators is simply to refrain from visiting their sites. After all, no one forces you to buy books and CDs online. If you want anonymity, go to a store and pay cash. A more serious and unavoidable matter is the government's newest scheme for invading everyone's online privacy. In late July, the Clinton administration unveiled a new plan to use the FBI to monitor all Internet traffic, both on military and nonmilitary networks, under the guise of protecting the nation from terror ists who might use the Net for nefarious pur poses. According to a draft of the plan, a sophisticated monitoring system would be put in place to constantly track all computer activ ity, looking for "suspicious patterns." This would help keep tabs on the activities of the usual suspects: drug traffickers, child moles ters, and terrorists.