The 'I' in Italy
CNN describes a new law in Italy that requires Internet cafes to ID and log their clients papers. They are also required to keep a photocopy of the ID. Each cafe must also be registered with the local police station. Government spokespeople say that this will help fight terrorism.
I hate to accept statements like this on face value. How exactly will this help fight terrorism? There's two problematic assumptions here, the first is that terrorists can't afford a computer in a private residence and the second, slightly more disturbing, is the assumption that knowing who a person is will somehow stop them from committing a terrorist act.
Looking at the first assumption, I have to assume that a well-funded terrorist group can afford to make a "Dude, you've got Dell" purchase. We're talking what, like $2500 or something? i'm sure that they can sell blood or get holiday work as a mall Santa to make that amount of cash. So if the people who are likely to be a threat aren't going to be deterred by this policy, then why would a government, especially a notoriously unstable one, want to to regulate the lower and middle class access to the Internet?
The second unstated assumption is pervasive throughout the new "security-conscious" western world. The belief is that these crimes are committed by the anonymous against the named. Shedding light on those who keep their identity hidden is similar to the effects of the sun on a vampire--they scream once and go up in smoke.
I have never understood this argument and I know of no historical precedent where knowing someone's identity would have stopped a big political attack, explosion or assassination. No amount of identity snooping would have stopped a John Wilkes Booth, an Oswald, a MacVeigh or most importantly the 9/11 murderers.
The problem with this theory is that it only works when the authorities are already looking for the person, presumably because they've already commited a violent act. Then it's simply a matter of picking them up. But wait, most countries already have a system in place for that by requiring ID at transportation hubs. So, why ID those seeking Internet access?
The conclusion that I've come to is that it's because the true desire is to slowly build up a behavioral profile of everyone--citizens and non-residents alike. I'm sure that initially this knowledge would be used to keep us all safe. But for how long? Like the U.S. Patriot Act, this seems to be part of a larger effort to use the ill-defined blanket of "security" to encroach on the privacy of all, all except the terrorists, because similar to how criminals always seem to find guns regardless of local laws, those with intent to harm will easily find a way around repressive information access laws.
Not so their innocent neighbors.
Posted on December 12, 2005
