Reason number 5,000 to avoid AT&T for Internet access/service.

okay so we can't use comcast or att now... what else is left? in palo alto, bay area, ca, i think those are the 2 main options

I doubt they could accomplish it anyway. At best i would say they would be partially effective.

won't this just lead to encrypted file sharing to hide signatures? and what about legitimate broadcasting from sites licensed to do so? seems like another unproductive step in DRM warfare.

They're blowing hot air. DRM as an exercise in carpet bombing the hell out of all content providers and consumers. Dark networks, here we come.

I'd like to ask everyone this question: Isn't this kind of practice unconstitutional? What is so different between this....and say, the MPAA busting into your house everyday to see if you ripped a DVD to your hard drive? Or the RIAA breaking into you car to monitoring your CD player's content?

...or tapping your phone line. Hang on, that IS tapping your phone line, isn't it?

@jfj: We live in the United States of Apathy.

@johnnyrandom: No, right to privacy is implicit in the constitution not explicit. This is another reason why the Net Neutrality folks are fighting so hard... once the government decides the owner of the pipes have the right to do with the pipes as they please you're screwed with this one.

Well, the implications of such a technology aside, I fail to see how this would prevent child pornography. It's doubtful that pedophiles would be kind enough to submit their... work... to AT&T. Then again, this is hardly the first time pedos have been used as a convenient and uncomfortable excuse for bleeding our civil liberties away. "Let us to do this, or children will be raped." Classy.

In this brave new world, the internet will suck, lawsuits will be on the rise, and we'll have glorious glorious pop ads, as far as the eye can see. My God, it will be beautiful.

Apparently they never heard of encryption.

Well honestly, you can avoid services that use this kind of filter, but eventually it's going to be mainstream and it's inevitable.

Unlike analog, anything digital can be monitored and controlled. Why do you think governments are pushing so hard to get everyone to upgrade to a digital TV? They want you to think it's because it saves bandwidth but it's mainly because the signal can be controlled and manipulated. Analog phones such as pay-phones and home phones will be next to get the boot because it's costlier and more difficult to monitor analog phone signals than it is for mobile phones.

What will happen also, is the backlash from consumers. Many people that can't afford it and people that refuse to pay the ridiculous prices will find something better to do with their lives and money will go to other forms of entertainment.

And mark my words.... Eisner is going to be sitting on his throne that Steve Jobs built for him asking his loyal subjects why no one is watching their movies anymore.

So what's the difference between this and wiretapping - both active and passive?

wiretapping [en.wikipedia.org]

"the networks would hand over a bank of material" a massive bank of child porn material then, if they are going to detect it, right?

Personally I'm even more outraged about how anybody who wants to do something totally restrictive and which removes yet another bit of freedom from people just cynically says "This will keep child-pornography producing Al Queda terrorists from harming your kids!" - just say "child pornography" and "terrorism" and everybody goes "well duh... ok!" and lets you do anything at all. Arrgh.

Yes, both are horrible things, and yes both should be combated vigorously, but for crying out loud, isn't it about time people woke up and started at least asking questions when someone trots those hot-button topics out to justify crap like this?

What's the difference between this and the phone company listening in to all your phone calls and just cutting out the words they don't like? This seems like mass censorship. I just can't wait for the day that my friends overseas get gulag style emails from me "Do not worry about me. I am fine. All hail ATT.".

I didn't know if it was AT&T doing it, or the webmasters for certain torrent sites I use, but I cannot browse the sites over Edge. This post leads me to believe that it must be AT&T. Small price to pay on my end, as there's no way (yet) for me to make downloads with the IPhone.

Don't they ever learn? This is the kind of thing they spend millions and millions on over the course of years, and some 14 year old circumvents 45 minutes after it's released.

@XSteveMurphy: Part of the Millions AT&T will spend is bribing (in the form of campaign contributions) elected officials to pass new laws increasing the penalties for such actions. Only a matter of time before the next DVD-Jon is packed up and shipped off to gitmo.

The Nazis never had the entire communications network under Stasi control. Amazing what the American Corporate Fascists have accomplished. Read this you deathstar worshipping fucks, I know you have. Read what Mark Klein has testified in front of Congress. AT&T has handed over the keys to a highway that is not theirs. Are we really so inept and dumb in this country to see what is going on? When will people stop giving a shit about Britney's latest crisis, or stop pretending we free plebs picked Hillary, Barack, Rudy, Mitt, or the rest of the dirty Council on Foreign Relations Rockefeller slaves. Ron Paul is hope.

Well boys and girls it's been a hell of a cool ride up until now.

hmm...bittorrent to work on SSL in near future?

How would that stop child pornography? Wouldnt they need a copy of it first to work? Answer : Yes. The System Is Down.

That's why im never going with AT&T.
i can truly say i've never liked AT&T.
I've always liked sprint and t-mobile.
and sprint seems to be going down the drain.
While t-mobile keeps moving on up like the jeffersons.
C'mon t-mobile kick these loser's asses lolz

@SneakerFiend: Lay off the dope, son. AT&T Mobility/wireless/whatever is different than AT&T/SBC DSL which is what this is about. Sounds like Clearwire and Xohm may be more viable than I thought.

It's Fair Use that is under attack. There are often legitimate reasons why copyrighted material may be traveling over AT&T's network. While it might be simple just to ban "all copyrighted material", they're not going to be able to do that without interfering with our legal rights.

OK.
Computer.
Kids.
Parents.
Watch this!
One of best statements about our "new" digital reality I have ever seen... This guy rocks!

[www.artsjournal.com]

Three thoughts:

1. How could it help against child porn unless the system starts with a database of ALL CHILD PORN IN THE WORLD?

2. Child pornographers will simply encrypt everything. Good luck against SSL, ATT.

3. For that matter, everyone will eventually encrypt everything. One of these networks will go too far. One of their dumb technicians will block all text that reads "AT&T sucks" or something, the press will go nuts with the story, and our children will think of sending emails unencrypted as a humorous demonstration of the innocence of the young internet.