Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Justice Department demanding IPP addresses

CBS News reports that indymedia.us, a liberal reporting/advocacy site, has received a subpoena from the U.S. Justice Department demanding "IP addresses, times, and any other identifying information," including e-mail addresses, physical addresses, registered accounts, and Indymedia readers' Social Security Numbers, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and so on."

Indymedia was also ordered by the Justice Department "not to disclose the existence of this request," which CBS dryly notes "poses a quandary for any news organization."
According to Justice Department regulations, news media are not supposed to receive subpoenas without the express authorization of Attorney General Eric Holder, whose office denies having received such a request. The request was later withdrawn -- the Justice Department had no comment about either the nature of the investigation or the reason for withdrawal.
Meanwhile, the Indentured Servant Girl has some advice for those who wish to resist this kind of intrusion...

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