I read this article by Eugene Volokh which commented upon American Digest's take on the report by Jonah Engle of The Nation about eBay's willingness to give law enforcement officials almost any information it has about people doing business through eBay. The Nation's report begins:
Speaking at a conference this winter on Internet crime, eBay.com's director of law enforcement and compliance, Joseph Sullivan, offered law-enforcement officials extensive access to personal customer information.The American Digest rephrased it thusly:
Ebay's Number One Rent-A-Cop Joe Sullivan put police around the country on notice that Ebay won't ask them for anything as inconvenient as a court order when it comes to getting your personal information from the online leviathan.Eugene wonders why anyone should complain:
If the police go to a store and say "Can you tell us who bought this item? We're investigating a crime, and this might be relevant," I imagine many store owners will say "Sure, officer -- we like to help the police." I think that's traditionally been seen as part of a citizen's moral duty: Not just to give the minimal legally required help to the police, with the maximal legally permissible obstruction, but to help wholeheartedly, at least until he sees that there's some serious abuse taking place.I can understand why it seems logical for all citizens, including retailers, to cooperate with law enforcement agents when it comes to the investigation of crimes. I am not too sure I agree that eBay should become an arm of law enforcement:
Sullivan even offered to conscript eBay's employees in virtual sting operations: "Tell us what you want to ask the bad guys. We'll send them a form, signed by us, and ask them your questions. We will send their answers directly to your e-mail."What I am definitely more alarmed about is any loss of free speech implications, such as Microsoft giving away the identity behind my various Hotmail accounts. I am too afraid of all those SPAMMERS coming to my front door to sell me stuff I don't want or need.*
*However, I suppose I could prove to several of the idiots, once and for all, that I don't need any of their stupid pills.
Posted by Tiger at July 7, 2003 04:45 PM | TrackBack