More information about that US administration's proposal:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/30/us/30fbi.html?_r=3&emc=tnt&tntemail1=y

>Some advocates of electronic privacy have raised alarms about the 
>proposal, saying it could expand government eavesdropping on 
>computer activity without court oversight. Senator Patrick J. Leahy, 
>Democrat of Vermont and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, 
>said Thursday that the proposal raised "serious privacy and civil 
>liberties concerns."

[...]

>The F.B.I. contends that the e-mail addresses to which people send 
>messages, and the Web pages they visit, are the functional 
>equivalent of the phone numbers they call. Officials familiar with 
>the matter, speaking anonymously because of the sensitivity of the 
>issue, say that most companies agree with that interpretation and 
>have routinely turned over such records when requested.

The web pages people visit: "the functional equivalent of the phone 
numbers they call"?!?

Cedric
---

>While there is some humor in the Fowlie fiasco, stocking ICANN with 
>police agents is a) not a laughing matter and b) part of the larger 
>context of the militarization of governments and agencies throughout 
>the world, particularly in the arenas of "unregulated" citizen 
>communication and behavior. The debate on privacy vs security in the 
>age of intensified government secrecy and "Total Information 
>Awareness" is part of a much larger battle. For example, the 
>Washington Post reported on July 29th: "The [Obama] administration 
>wants to add just four words -- "electronic communication 
>transactional records" -- to a list of items that the law says the 
>FBI may demand without a judge's approval. Government lawyers say 
>this category of information includes the addresses to which an 
>Internet user sends e-mail; the times and dates e-mail was sent and 
>received; and possibly a user's browser history." Of course Jane 
>Lute, the Department of Homeland Security deputy secretary assured 
>an audience at the Black Hat conference this week that "she wants 
>"to create a safe, secure, resilient place where we can thrive...The 
>goal here is not control. It's confidence."
>
>Brian Drolet
>Deep Dish TV
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>>From: "Carlos A. Afonso" <[log in to unmask]>
>>Sent: Jul 29, 2010 11:03 AM
>  >To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: more news on ICANN Ombudsman Frank Fowlie's air rage 
>>incident & cover-up attempt
>>
>>:)
>>
>>Well, re "liking" as a motivation, humans use to behave like this,
>>especially in positions of power.
>>
>>:)
>>
>>--c.a.
>>
>>On 07/28/2010 09:23 PM, Jorge Amodio wrote:
>>>>  What is it becoming? A new international law enforcement body overseen by
>>>>  the US gov?
>>>
>>>  We are watching the transformation of ICANN into KHAOS, somebody needs
>>>  to call Maxwell Smart.
>>>
>>>  :)
>>>
>>>  BTW since when "like" is a measure of performance ?
>>>
>>>  Regards
>>>  Jorge
>>>
>>
>>--
>>
>>Carlos A. Afonso
>>CGI.br (www.cgi.br)
>>Nupef (www.nupef.org.br)
>>====================================
>>new/nuevo/novo e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>>====================================


-- 
Cedric Laurant, Esq.
Attorney at Law (DC-USA) - Independent Consultant (Brussels, Belgium)
Senior Research Fellow, Center for Media and Communication Studies
Central European University (Budapest, Hungary)
Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/cedriclaurant