[Below is a reply from a .gov Politech subscriber. Obviously headlines (or Subject: lines) can't be as complete as the full article, but I do my best to convey how the news will impact readers. --Declan] --- Again, you can reprint this, but only without attribution. I find your stuff very interesting, but for the second day in a row, I have to say that you mischaracterized a court ruling. Essentially, the court resolved an apparent conflict between ECPA, which would permit law enforcement to get basic subscriber information (i.e., name, address, and telephone number) using either a subpoena or a court order without notice to the subscriber, and the CCPA, which would require notice before a cable company could turn over such information. The court held that the scope of the CCPA does not reach Internet service and so notice is not required. If this ruling is followed elsewhere, its only effect would be to treat cable Internet users like any other Internet users insofar as the ability of the government to get basic subscriber information using a subpoena or a court order. To hold otherwise, would mean that con artists and criminals would all flock to cable over other forms of Internet connections. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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