AT&T and other ISP's threatening to eavesdrop

Filtering someone's Internet traffic without their consent is just a kind term for censorship. Let's get that straight right now.

Let's also get this straight: For an ISP to sift through customers' traffic to look for stuff to filter is eavesdropping - rather, wiretapping. No other way around it.

Since the Internet became popular, the 'Net has generally been an open range - at least as far as the lack of filtering by ISP's is concerned. But a panel of corporate big shits - from the likes of NBC and AT&T - say it's time for ISP's to start filtering users' traffic at the network level in the name of blocking copyrighted material.

Don't even try it, stupids. It's an issue of 'Net neutrality. FCC rules prohibit ISP's from selectively controlling 'Net traffic flow.

Predictably, America's Toilets & Testes - which itself is in the ISP business - has already been commiserating with MPAA and RIAA representatives to violate these regulations by using filtering at the network level. Who's surprised? AT&T broke the law by conspiring with Bush in his phone spying program, and AT&T is also one of the leading corporate contributors to Republican campaigns. After they signed me up and billed me for phone services I didn't order (bills I refused to pay), I've considered the ToileTestes gang to be one of the most untrustworthy corporations I've ever dealt with. (AT&T's signing people up for services they didn't order is commonly known as phone slamming.)

If the FCC allows this Internet filtering - wait, they don't. They're not supposed to, at least. That's why they call it a regulation.

Congress or the state legislatures should put some sharper teeth into the regulations. If AT&T or other ISP's sound self-assured now, maybe it's because they know their cronies in the ruling party are going to look the other way. Not like I won't pursue penalties against any ISP that tries pulling this shit with me.

(Source: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/08/att-and-other-isps-may-be-getting-ready-to-filter)