[Politech] FBI wants computer repair shops to report Kazaa, DeCSS users? [priv]

From: Declan McCullagh (declan@private)
Date: Sun Feb 08 2004 - 21:52:29 PST

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    Excerpt:
    "The FBI primarily is looking for purveyors of child pornography, software
    used in the piracy of movies and music, and threats to national security."
    
    ---
    
    X-Clips-URL:
      <http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Feb/05/ln/ln01a.html/?prin
      t=on>
    Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2004 11:53:51 -0500
    From: "R. A. Hettinga" <rah@private>
    Subject: FBI asks Hawaii computer shops to help fight cybercrime
    
    <http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Feb/05/ln/ln01a.html/?print=on>
    
    The Honolulu Advertiser - Hawaii's Newspaper
    
    Posted on: Thursday, February 5, 2004
    
    FBI asks computer shops to help fight cybercrime
    
    By Peter Boylan
      Advertiser Staff Writer
    
    Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Cyber Crime Squad have
    been approaching O'ahu computer-repair specialists, network consultants and
    software developers and asking them to report any overtly criminal activity
    they find in customers' computers.
    
    Owners of computer repair shops reported that FBI agents have come calling
    for at least a year.
    
    Some business owners and network security consultants favor the approach,
    which enlists old-school police beat work to combat high-tech crime.
    
    Others - like the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union
    in Hawai'i and some local computer users - are wary of the tactic, saying
    it comes dangerously close to violating a person's privacy rights.
    
    Special Agent Arnold Laanui said the FBI is taking a proactive approach to
    fighting computer crimes, which are ranked third on the agency's list of
    priorities, behind protecting the country against a terrorist attack and
    deflecting espionage.
    
    "The computer arena is so broad and such a part of everyday life," Laanui
    said. "A good chunk of crimes out there have some sort of computer-based
    nexus to them."
    
    The FBI primarily is looking for purveyors of child pornography, software
    used in the piracy of movies and music, and threats to national security.
    
    ...
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