Sonic.net is in the news this morning. The two newscasts I have heard so far identify sonic.net as a “Small Internet Company”. There are a few companies that stand out above the rest with a reputation for knowing what they’re doing and willing to go toe-to-toe with the government to protect their users. Some of you know that I used to own FindAnISP.com and have a very thorough knowledge of who is in the internet business and their reputations (until 2005 when I stopped updating the database).
The government has given itself the power to serve an ISP with a warrant to secretly turn over email records – there is no provision for the target to challenge the request, and the ISP faces criminal penalties if they notify the target that they have complied with a warrant.
The person whose email contacts were demanded is a developer of a piece of software called TOR. TOR has existed for a long time and it was originally developed by the US Navy. TOR is a system that allows a computer to use random insecure internet connections to create secure encrypted untraceable communications – to bypass IP blocks and content blocks (Like the Great Internet Wall of China). It provides a significant degree of anonymous access when using the Internet – and used by the government, journalists, and clued in people who don’t like others tracking everything they do.
And there is the rub – the group Anonymous. From the vague description on the news, it sounds like the Government thinks that gathering up all the email addresses of a software developer who supports the concept of what Anonymous is doing (who is not charged with any criminal activity) might lead them to a clue to find out who Anonymous really is.
Both Google (presumably because of gmail) and Sonic.net are mentioned in the story. According to the story, Sonic.Net spent money to get permission from a court to notify the person involved that there was a warrant. Sonic.Net is probably the single most aggressive ISP at protecting customer privacy, and works with and supports the Electronic Freedom Foundation (EFF).
I look forward to seeing all those anti-Bush people who opposed “Warrantless wiretaps” now protesting President Obama and demanding that Eric Holder step down. I think I may be waiting for a while.