Dynamic IP address confusion results in wrong family raided

Begin forwarded message:

From: Lauren Weinstein <[email protected]>
Date: October 25, 2006 6:48:18 PM EDT
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Dynamic IP address confusion results in wrong family raided


Dave,

This story should raise the red flag for virtually all Internet users,
since everyone is at risk for this sort of potentially serious
misadventure:

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061024-8062.html

When an armed porn raid took place *at the wrong physical address*
apparently based solely on ISP information derived from an IP
address, the results could have been deadly.  It appears that a
dynamic IP address was incorrectly mapped to a subscriber.

We've seen cases before where apparently nonsensical raids have been
conducted for the MPAA based on IP addresses that may well have been
incorrect.

This isn't funny anymore, if it ever was.  ISPs, search engines, and
other sources of retained Internet user activity data are being
treated as adjuncts of law enforcement, with the incredibly
dangerous and faulty presumption that such data will always be
accurate and reliable.

In these kinds of situations, such errors involving retained data
could get people killed.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
[email protected] or [email protected]
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
    - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, IOIC
    - International Open Internet Coalition - http://www.ioic.net
Co-Founder, CIFIP
    - California Initiative For Internet Privacy - http://www.cifip.org
Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
DayThink: http://daythink.vortex.com