declan

Police: Internet providers must keep user logs

Law enforcement representatives are planning to endorse a proposed federal law that would require Internet service providers to store logs about their customers for 18 months, CNET has learned.

The National Sheriffs' Association will say it "strongly supports" mandatory data retention during Tuesday's U.S. House of Representatives hearing on the topic.

Michael Brown, sheriff in Bedford County, Va., and a board member and executive committee member of the National Sheriffs' Association, is planning to argue that a new law is necessary because Internet providers do not store customer records long enough.

"The limited data retention … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1277: You can hack DMCA. Legally. (podcast)

The U.S. copyright office now says that there are instances in which you may hack, fold, spindle, or mutilate copy protection, but just a few, and don't go breaking any other contracts while you're at it. Also, Microsoft wants its employees to build Windows 7 phone apps... for free!

Reporters' Roundtable: Google vs. China (podcast)

This week: Probably one of the biggest stories of the year, if not the decade: Google vs China. On January 12, the search company announced it was pulling out of China. We're going to discuss why Google did that, what's new in the Google-China story, and what's likely to happen as this story continues to unfold.

Our guests today make up the impressive CNET reporting team covering this topic, and it's quite a feat to get them together at once. Here in the studio, from the Google beat: Tom Krazit. Covering security: Elinor Mills. And connecting from Washington, D.C., via Skype, politics and policy writer Declan McCullagh.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) Reporters' Roundtable #19: Google vs. China… Read more

Podcast: Larry Magid and Declan McCullagh talk about new Whitehouse.gov

By the time President Obama lifted his hand from the Lincoln Bible, White House staff updated the presidential Web site Whitehouse.gov to reflect the new administration. The site, which now includes a video of the president's swearing in and inaugural address, also includes his agenda, which is pretty much lifted from his campaign Web site.

The site, according to a blog post from White House New Media Director Macon Philips, is part of the administration's plan to make government more transparent and more open to citizen participation. Philips promises that the site "will feature timely and … Read more

Touching a nerve in Silicon Valley

I did attend the Ron Paul rally I mentioned on Friday. (More info here, here, and here.)

It wasn't what I expected-- in a good way.

If elected, Dr. Paul would withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq, abolish the IRS and the Federal Reserve system, and return the country to the gold standard.

There were other speakers addressing these topics, and many of the people attending the event were apparently there to hear about these things-- anti-war activists, gold bugs, even a contingent of conspiracy theorists. I expected these people to dominate the rally, and I was prepared to … Read more