A Real Bad Idea

Some European countries are proposing outlawing the use of fake information to open e-mail accounts or set up Web sites, a move intended to help terror investigations but which could face resistance on a privacy-conscious continent.

The German and Dutch governments have taken the lead on the proposals, crafting legislation that would make it illegal to provide false information to Internet service providers and require phone companies to save detailed records on customer usage.

The aim, analysts say, is to make it easier for law enforcement to access information when they investigate crimes or terrorist attacks. But Europeans have long cherished their privacy, railing against measures that would see personal information stored for commercial use or government examination.

"The people of Europe have a long record of fighting for their personal freedom, and are unlikely to accept such regulations being imposed upon them," said Graham Cluley, a senior technology consultant with the London-based consulting group Sophos.

"No one disagrees with the need to take decisive action against terrorism and organized crime, but to introduce such restrictive surveillance on the general public and Internet companies -- without proper safeguards in place -- seems positively Orwellian," he said last week.

Look Christian, 42, who works at an Internet cafe in Berlin, said it's his business -- not the government's -- if he wants to set up an anonymous e-mail account.

Anonymity is a cornerstone of Internet activities. It's how most bloggers operate, even as there are some who take advantage of the situation for nefarious or criminal purposes.

This kind of legislation could not fly in the US, so even if the Germans or Dutch make it more difficult to get online anonymously, there are so many workarounds and jurisdictional hurdles that it would be impossible for the Germans or Dutch to actually enforce such restrictions. That is the danger and beauty of the Internet; it knows no boundaries.

Information will want to be free, and people will be able to figure out ways to circumvent restrictions.

It is interesting to see that the Europeans would like to think that they're on the leading edge of privacy rights, and free speech, yet the Europeans have repeatedly shown that they do not have the same rights that Americans take for granted. Germany has restricted free speech by making it illegal to deny the Holocaust. I find Holocaust deniers the most vile sort, but do not agree with the restriction on free speech that makes it illegal. If you believe in free speech, you would have to understand that the right extends even to those viewpoints that you find most disagreeable.

UPDATE:
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