A Georgia law going into effect tomorrow will require that all sex offenders not simply turn over their email addresses and screen names to authorities—which goes back to 2006—but all their passwords as well.
Georgia is one of 15 states requiring sex offenders to give their email addresses, screen names and “other internet handles” to authorities, and now the second (after Utah) to force them to give up their passwords as well, giving authorities unlimited, unfettered access to monitor their email and other internet activities.
State Senator Cecil Staton told MSNBC, “We limit where they can live, we make their information available on the Internet. To some degree, we do invade their privacy…But the feeling is, they have forfeited, to some degree, some privacy rights.”
Obviously, privacy groups, like the Southern Center for Human Rights are concerned by the law, though there haven’t been any legal challenges to it yet. So, what do you guys think? One step too far, or totally legit? [MSNBC via Techdirt]
