UK government wants static IP addresses for every person

[DuckDodgers]

 

On top of the overzealous data retention requirements, a new legislation proposal by the UK home secretary would force the ISPs to adopt static IP address for every account, so that both users and devices can be uniquely identified online, just like telephone numbers.
 
It is still quite unclear how this measure would be effective, from technical and legal point of view.
 

The concept, outlined by home secretary and lizard queen Theresa May, would force ISPs to assign fixed IP addresses to individual users and machines, thus allowing authorities to identify with more certainty those responsible for cyber crimes or other nefarious activity.

May told the BBC's Andrew Marr: "This is a step but it doesn't go all the way to ensuring that we can identify all the people we will need to."

The upshot, in fact, is that the people who are most likely to be postively identifiable from their IP addresses are the same people who haven't done anything wrong and have nothing to hide, as all the illegal and immoral stuff is hidden behind firewalls and IP spoofing software.

The move has received the kind of suspicious welcome that often greets matters of public safety at the expense of civil liberty.

But David Davis MP, well known for his efforts to protect civil liberties, warned: "It's a stepping stone back to the old snoopers' charter, the thing that Parliament roundly threw out about a year and half ago because they weren’t convinced that this was necessary.

"Now, this technical change is okay, it'a sensible, but the Home Secretary has said in effect that she sees it as a route back into the whole snoopers' charter and, frankly, I think she’s going to have real trouble.”

The Liberal Democrats have welcomed the news, saying that it provides proof that there will be no return to snooping in this Parliament.

The party said the suggestion "shows that the much wider and disproportionate proposals in the snoopers’ charter will not be resurfacing under the coalition government", reflecting leader Nick Clegg's decision to withdraw his support from the bill during 2013.

 

Source: Your IP address could soon become an identification number

[Jade]

I live in the US but;

 

Ah, yes, I do love people being able to call up my ISP and provide my IP, then let them get information about me. What happens when I'm DDoS'd?

(To anyone who says most people don't get DDoS'd, you're right. However, some people do, and it has happened to me numerous times.)

[ShadowCaptain]

Oh dear, please dont do this, its impractical and another excuse for mass surveillance 

[mr moose]

That sounds like an awesome idea, In Australia we have to pay extra for a static IP. 

[metal_remco]

When I read the title it sounded like a good idea, it's easier to deploy your own server with your own static ip, you don't have to get a expensive deal with your isp. But if they're gonna abuse it and identify you on the internet through your ip-adres as a personal number, than it's a bad idea.

[mr moose]

When I read the title it sounded like a good idea, it's easier to deploy your own server with your own static ip, you don't have to get a expensive deal with your isp. But if they're gonna abuse it and identify you on the internet through your ip-adres as a personal number, than it's a bad idea.

 

Like they can't do that already with IP logging, cookies, etc.  

[Oshino Shinobu]

If I trusted our government, this would probably be a good thing. However, they've already passed a load of laws that exclude them from the EU rulings on mass surveillance, so I really do not want this. 

[.spider.]

And what about a carrier grade Nat?

Or are they only referring to ipv6?

[Oshino Shinobu]

Like they can't do that already with IP logging, cookies, etc.  

True, but this will make it much easier for them to do. 

[JamesDwho]

The UK is becoming an Orwellian Nightmare one privacy violation at a time.

[metal_remco]

Like they can't do that already with IP logging, cookies, etc.  

Sure, but when this law passes, it's even easier to track your movement around the internet

[werto165]

An IP address shouldn't represent an individual... 

[mr moose]

True, but this will make it much easier for them to do. 

 

 

Sure, but when this law passes, it's even easier to track your movement around the internet

 

I'm not too sure that's their chief reason, last I heard they arrested 243 people on terror related charges in the UK so saving a few hours searching through IP logs probably isn't a big deal.

[Oshino Shinobu]

I'm not too sure that's their chief reason, last I heard they arrested 243 people on terror related charges in the UK so saving a few hours searching through IP logs probably isn't a big deal.

Well, the reason that they seem to be giving is still a bad one. Basically just using IP addresses as a form of identifying people online. 

 

Best case scenario, they'll just want it so that if they need to investigate some illegal activity, they can identify the people involved. 

 

Or, they also want it so that they can snoop on everyone and know instantly who people are, so they can catch all of those pesky teenage pirates. Both the US and UK are turning into surveillance states with no form of privacy. 

[LAwLz]

This is pointless. I don't think this will have any effect on privacy (they are already logging who has which IP at any given time) so it won't help with that.

At best they will be able to reduce the size of their log files a lot, and be able to make them more structured. That's it though. It won't help catch real criminals because they will just be able to circumvent this with things like spoofing a brand new machine. Hell, this might in fact be used as an alibi by them. "It wasn't my IP number that committed the crime so therefore I am innocent".

 

This will be amazing for people who do targeted attacks though. For example DDOS. Linus got pretty upset when Skype leaked his IP and he started getting DDOS'd. Imagine if he could not change his IP. Once his IP was leaked everyone would know about it forever.

Also, this will probably make those IP location finders far more accurate. Now that can be a huge risk for people. Imagine if someone could find your physical location from just seeing your IP, and you had no way of changing it. Some pissed off mod on a forum could post everyone's home address.

 

This might be one of the stupidest things I've read all week... and I accidentally ended up reading some YouTube comments yesterday.

[ShadowCaptain]

 and I accidentally ended up reading some YouTube comments yesterday.

 

oh god why

[mr moose]

 

This might be one of the stupidest things I've read all week... and I accidentally ended up reading some YouTube comments yesterday.

 

Some good comments,  but this one was golden... 

[Psykomantis00]

I live in the US but;

 

Ah, yes, I do love people being able to call up my ISP and provide my IP, then let them get information about me. What happens when I'm DDoS'd?

(To anyone who says most people don't get DDoS'd, you're right. However, some people do, and it has happened to me numerous times.)

You change your IP. With a static it's easy. This whole thing wont happen though. Not until we use IPv6 anyway. 

[Psykomantis00]

This is pointless. I don't think this will have any effect on privacy (they are already logging who has which IP at any given time) so it won't help with that.

At best they will be able to reduce the size of their log files a lot, and be able to make them more structured. That's it though. It won't help catch real criminals because they will just be able to circumvent this with things like spoofing a brand new machine. Hell, this might in fact be used as an alibi by them. "It wasn't my IP number that committed the crime so therefore I am innocent".

 

This will be amazing for people who do targeted attacks though. For example DDOS. Linus got pretty upset when Skype leaked his IP and he started getting DDOS'd. Imagine if he could not change his IP. Once his IP was leaked everyone would know about it forever.

Also, this will probably make those IP location finders far more accurate. Now that can be a huge risk for people. Imagine if someone could find your physical location from just seeing your IP, and you had no way of changing it. Some pissed off mod on a forum could post everyone's home address.

 

This might be one of the stupidest things I've read all week... and I accidentally ended up reading some YouTube comments yesterday.

 

You can change your IP easier with a static range. You would just need to contact your ISP and they could change it. Could being the key word. Whether or not they do... but with enough complaints they would I'm sure. 

[PortentousLad]

Sooooo what exactly does this mean?

Are they enforcing IPv6 on everybody? If not good luck doing this with IPv4, spoiler alert it's not possible.

 

Is there more info as to how they hope to achieve this? Or is it just politicians doing what they do best again meaning talking about things they cannot comprehend.

 

Ever thought: "how come we're not using IPv6 everywhere all the time?" it's not because we don't want to...

[Misanthrope]

Oh dear, please dont do this, its impractical and another excuse for mass surveillance 

 

Not only impractical but it might very well be impossible

[Thorium19]

Oh great, this is going to be awful if they do manage to bring it in, which is incredibly likely now that they are using "terrorism" as a motivation. Because of all the issues with ISIS it's all the more likely it'll be passed as a way to "protect the people" from the terrors of ISIS. IMO it's just another way for them to legalise what they already do.

[Redheadsrule13]

I hate having a static IP. I never really run any servers or anything, so it's only a problem for me. I don't understand why ISP's don't ask whether or not their customers do/don't want it when they sign up and just let the customer decide.

[smjpl]

I hate having a static IP. I never really run any servers or anything, so it's only a problem for me. I don't understand why ISP's don't ask whether or not their customers do/don't want it when they sign up and just let the customer decide.

 

Static ip addresses are more valuable though. Did you ask for a static ip because they usually give you a dynamic one unless you ask for a static one?

[Recon97]

I think i will just travel to UK then