Legal Process is Good Business

by Jim Harper on November 7, 2006 · Comments

Over on Cato@Liberty, I’ve written a couple of times about how government access to data threatens many new and forthcoming business models.

TechDirt, a favorite tech-business blog, writes today about some ISPs’ perceived lack of cooperation with law enforcement. That ‘lack of cooperation’ is asking for a warrant before revealing customer data. “But requiring a warrant is a check against abuse; without them it’s hard for ISPs to judge the legitimacy and seriousness of a request. By valuing privacy, they better serve their customers, and ensure that law enforcement is only pursuing cases within the scope of the law.”

Very nice to see a business-oriented blog showing how privacy protection nests with commercial interests and good government.

Comments Posted in: Privacy, Security & Government Surveillance

  • A lot of companies fear their competitors will use FOIA requests based on law enforcement information against them. Given the government's general ineptitude with even their own data and computer networks, I'm sympathetic to this concern.
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