|
US govt grabs internet domain names
7 Mar 2003
US federal agents routinely seize property used in crimes, from drug dealer's cars to hackers' computers.
But the government has begun nabbing internet domain names - a tactic civil libertarians say threatens online merchants and could enable the feds to spy on unwitting Web surfers.
In one case, the government took over Web sites that it said peddled marijuana paraphernalia. In another, prosecutors acquired a site whose owner was charged with selling chips that let video game systems run pirated games.
But rather than shutting them down like in the past, the sites remained alive - and now greet visitors with stern warnings from government agencies.
The trend is alarming online civil liberties groups and legal scholars, who say that as electronic commerce becomes more common, the tactic could destroy people's livelihoods.
More details at: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/Sci_Tech/story_4960.asp
|
