Newly Obtained Homeland Security Documents Reveal Radical Shift In Internet Policy

[kpete]

Source: Huffington Post

David Segal
Posted: March 9, 2011 01:19 PM
Newly Obtained Homeland Security Documents Reveal Radical Shift In Internet Policy

Demand Progress just obtained a copy of the complaint that DHS and ICE made against him: they do not even allege that he made a copy of anything. Just that he ran what they call a "linking website" which linked to various sites with infringing material.

***** Based on my participation in the investigation leading to the February 2011 Seizure, I know that Channelsurfing.net was a "linking" website. Based on my training and experience, I know that "linking" websites generally collect and catalog links to files on third party websites...

Prosecution for secondary liability -- linking to a site that houses infringing materials -- is without precedent. Under the logic that governs the arrest, any Internet user who sends around a link to a copyrighted YouTube video -- or posts such a link on their personal blog -- is a criminal. This new enforcement regime is certain to have a chilling effect across the Internet.

The arrest represents yet another shocking overreach by DHS and ICE, whose policing of the Internet is growing ever more heavy-handed. We need to push back -- and fast -- before they try to lock up more Americans. Having accidentally seized 84,000 domains last month, it's clear that the agencies don't understand the operations of the Internet well enough to be in charge of policing it.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-segal/newly-obtained-homeland-s_b_833535.html

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COMPLAINT HERE: http://act.demandprogress.org/sign/dhscomplaint/

[Vincardog]

1. Please tell me what can we do?

[Javaman]

9. Drink more victory gin, consumer!

It's hard to do much when the government has you by the privates.

[Uncle Joe]

2. So the Constitution gets raped again by Fatherland Security.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[kpete]

4. so much news...

is not so good

peace, Uncle Joe
kpete

[Uncle Joe]

6. Yes,

it has gotten to the point of being tragically ridiculous, prosecuted for a link!?

peace to you, kpete
Uncle Joe

[frylock]

3. knr

[xchrom]

5. recommend

[Jackpine Radical]

7. It's a simple plan. Make everything illegal

and then selectively enforce the law against anybody who pisses you off.

[Javaman]

12. Read Gulag Archapeligo...

Article 58 in the soviet union basically was just that.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Bit of a misleading story by Huff Post and Demand Progress

It's not "any Internet user who sends around a link to a copyrighted YouTube video -- or posts such a link on their personal blog -- is a criminal". According to the charge, McCarthy's website created a new window for the link to run in, and then put its own adverts up in that window. Thus, this does not apply to 'any Internet user' - it applies to commercial sites that organise themselves to profit off showing copyrighted material to which they have no rights.

[annabanana]

10. ICE is a rogue agency within DHS.

I suspect that it is heavily infiltrated with politically charged CIA of "The Family" persuasion.

[Vinee]

11. When internet freedom is illegal, only criminals will have internet freedom.

because they'll be using proxy servers.