[ARS] IP addresses could become "personal information" in Europe - Page 4 - Overclock.net

Licht · 01-23-08

America, a-me-ri-ca, it isn't Europe!

airbozo · 01-23-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by tehpwnerofn00bs

Since a person doesn't specifically "own" their IP address, I don't think that it really is personal property.

I disagree. I "own" my IP addy for one of my connections. The IP is static and it never changes. It is assigned to my me by name, so it IS mine until I relinquish it.

Technically though yes it does belong to my ISP (since ISP's are alloted IP's by a range), but the IP address references MY personal system, not my ISP's.

I say the more privacy the better. Unlike in the US, where your personal information is considered a commodity owned by the highest bidder (or multiple bidders).

ElMikeTheMike · 01-23-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by airbozo

Unlike in the US, where your personal information is considered a commodity owned by the highest bidder (or multiple bidders).

C'mon, will ya get real please?

R3ap3R · 01-23-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElMikeTheMike

C'mon, will ya get real please?

ROFL... QFT... I am going to sig that.
Your information is well cared for.... just by Big Brother is all

It is not "up for the higgest bidder"

airbozo · 01-23-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by R3ap3R

ROFL... QFT... I am going to sig that.
Your information is well cared for.... just by Big Brother is all

It is not "up for the higgest bidder"

Well I somewhat disagree. It is up for ANY bidder.

I have been witness to my otherwise personal information being sold to credit card companies, mortgage brokers and anyone who has a dime to spend on mailing lists targeted at specific individuals (based on income, home ownership, number of kids, make and model of car, etc...). This is information held ONLY at private institutions such as banks, mortgage companies and the California DMV(ok not so private).

Several years ago I had an issue with squatter on my neighbors property. After many years of harassment and countless court appearances, the county got the guy for shooting at my house (yes he was a coward). Upon his arrest, they found a large folder full of mine and my wifes personal information in his possession, including SS#'s, DMV records, mortgage information, credit history, even copies of birth and marriage certificates. He also kept meticulous records of _everything_ including receipts for all of our personal info from several sources. It was all legally obtained for a moderate fee. He even got that info back when he was released on bail.

SgtSpike · 01-23-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turnoz

Guys, this would mean that EVERYONE would get a static IP adress. I, for one, support this. The people that would be against this would be hackers, pirates and people that use their connection for illegal purposes. If they catch your IP, Bam. They automatically have your name, adress, number, bank number, social number, workplace, everything. This is what could COMPLETELY stop P2P copyright infrigment. They could easily catch whoever is doing it.

PS. ^^ thats what the law wants you to think. Buy a wireless router and dont use encryption. Naturaly, dont leave the illegal downloads on your machine or else you would be lying to the law and thats enough to get you some fun :P

Not sure why you said that you support this, as supporting it would be supporting HIDING the IP addresses. People can already track every machine on the internet by IP address, and movie publishers, etc can track each and every IP which downloads an illegal copy of one of their movies. Same with games, etc.

The thing is, right now, it's your ISP who's protecting your privacy. People outside of your ISP only see an IP address, not who it is registered to. So the movie industry can beg comcast or your university for your names, but they almost never get it, as an ISP (or university) doesn't want to be known for giving out personal information.

The big downloaders are usually reliquished by their ISP's, and that's how they get caught and go to jail and pay large fines. Hopefully, more and more ISP's will begin giving out information on even the small downloaders so that illegal P2P activity will be stopped completely.

On another note, wouldn't completely blocking access to IP addresses require a whole redesign of the internet? For instance, I can create a simple PHP page that logs the IP address of anyone (or anybot) that so much as touches it. How would a law change that? Or would it just make it illegal for me to obtain such information?

Shadowrunner340 · 01-23-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Truambitionz

I'm not for this idea..
Arent we supposed to run out of IP addresses in the next few years?

i don't know why they think this will happen.

show me one network that has 4 billion + systems on the SAME network ID.

R3ap3R · 01-23-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadowrunner340

i don't know why they think this will happen.

show me one network that has 4 billion + systems on the SAME network ID.

They are running out of possible numbers to assign.

Odyn · 01-24-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by SgtSpike

Not sure why you said that you support this, as supporting it would be supporting HIDING the IP addresses. People can already track every machine on the internet by IP address, and movie publishers, etc can track each and every IP which downloads an illegal copy of one of their movies. Same with games, etc.

The thing is, right now, it's your ISP who's protecting your privacy. People outside of your ISP only see an IP address, not who it is registered to. So the movie industry can beg comcast or your university for your names, but they almost never get it, as an ISP (or university) doesn't want to be known for giving out personal information.

The big downloaders are usually reliquished by their ISP's, and that's how they get caught and go to jail and pay large fines. Hopefully, more and more ISP's will begin giving out information on even the small downloaders so that illegal P2P activity will be stopped completely.

On another note, wouldn't completely blocking access to IP addresses require a whole redesign of the internet? For instance, I can create a simple PHP page that logs the IP address of anyone (or anybot) that so much as touches it. How would a law change that? Or would it just make it illegal for me to obtain such information?

Tracing IP addresses is illegal to begin with, so what you are basically saying is "Lets commit illegal activities to catch the guys who are downloading illegally." Last time I checked, you cannot engage in an illegal activity in order to catch 'suspected' illegal activity. Hell, lets just throw out the constitution and let the government, or even better large corporations like the MPAA and the RIAA decide whats best for us. Soviet Russia + Communist China anyone? Not protecting privacy is instant fail, and the sooner people realize this the better! I REFUSE to live in a nation where people are subjected to unscrupulous laws and fear-mongering tactics(id rather move if it happens). Folks, privacy is a real concern in our day and age and we should fight tooth and nail to save whats left of it. Yeah, people download illegally. Is it wrong? Probably. Should it stop? Definitely. Should we take away the privacy of everyone because a few are committing these crimes? Never!

Plus, if IP address's suddenly became personal information, what is to stop somebody from going to the phonebook and looking up their REAL address? "John Doe... 123 Main st. Got him!" LoL, cmon now!

SgtSpike · 01-24-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Odyn

Tracing IP addresses is illegal to begin with, so what you are basically saying is "Lets commit illegal activities to catch the guys who are downloading illegally." Last time I checked, you cannot engage in an illegal activity in order to catch 'suspected' illegal activity. Hell, lets just throw out the constitution and let the government, or even better large corporations like the MPAA and the RIAA decide whats best for us. Soviet Russia + Communist China anyone? Not protecting privacy is instant fail, and the sooner people realize this the better! I REFUSE to live in a nation where people are subjected to unscrupulous laws and fear-mongering tactics(id rather move if it happens). Folks, privacy is a real concern in our day and age and we should fight tooth and nail to save whats left of it. Yeah, people download illegally. Is it wrong? Probably. Should it stop? Definitely. Should we take away the privacy of everyone because a few are committing these crimes? Never!

Plus, if IP address's suddenly became personal information, what is to stop somebody from going to the phonebook and looking up their REAL address? "John Doe... 123 Main st. Got him!" LoL, cmon now!

Think what you want, but I've never seen anything that says tracing IP's is illegal. It public information through the whois database. Not only that, federal investigations can force ISP's to give over information, and I believe that's how most of the big downloaders get caught.

		Overclock.net - Overclocking.net > Industry News > Software News
[ARS] IP addresses could become "personal information" in Europe

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)