Police Agencies Want an Easier Time Serving Warrants to ISPs

For pretty much any crime involving the Internet, often the first step in an investigation is trying to figure out who is behind an IP address. But, according to the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, there is a problem: often it’s unclear which organisations are actually in a position to respond to legal orders for information, because of the way that IP addresses are distributed by Internet service providers (ISPs). In response, several law enforcement agencies are pushing for a change in how WHOIS data, the basic contact information of who is affiliated with an IP address, is recorded. Although likely not a privacy risk, the move, which will probably come into effect sometime in 2017, still presents a significant shake-up in how ISPs retain information.