[Infowarrior] - Gov't Says Second Life + Online Anonymity = Terrorism

[Richard Forno]

Gov't Says Second Life + Online Anonymity = Terrorism
from the oh-really? dept

Just as our courts on continually pointing out that anonymity is protected
free speech, it appears that the federal government is trying to do away
with anonymity entirely. We've already pointed out that National
Intelligence Director Mike McConnell has been saying that the government
should be able to monitor all internet communications. Now, the government's
Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity has come out with a fear
mongering report trying to suggest that online anonymity in 3D worlds leads
to terrorism. It highlights things like Second Life as a breeding ground for
terrorism. It's all quite scary if it weren't for the fact that it's totally
baseless. There's no evidence at all that this kind of activity is happening
in world's like Second Life. In fact, the report buries a quote from an
anonymous (ha!) intelligence official admitting that there's no evidence
whatsoever that any such activity is happening at all. As the EFF points out
in the link above, private communications online are nothing new. The fact
that they might take place in a 3D virtual is totally meaningless -- other
than to suggest that there are folks involved in national "intelligence" who
aren't that intelligent at all.

< - >

http://techdirt.com/articles/20080207/050559194.shtml