Online anonymity makes it more difficult for law enforcement to successfully catch and prosecute Internet-based criminals, and the U.S. government needs more help from the business community to overcome the unique challenges that online crime presents, Attorney General John Ashcroft said. . . .
Online anonymity makes it more difficult for law enforcement to successfully catch and prosecute Internet-based criminals, and the U.S. government needs more help from the business community to overcome the unique challenges that online crime presents, Attorney General John Ashcroft said. Speaking at the Computer Privacy, Policy & Security Institute in Billings, Mont., Tuesday, Ashcroft lamented several issues that impede law enforcement investigations into online criminal activity, including anonymity.

"On the Internet, it is easy for a criminal to create a fictitious identity to perpetrate frauds, extortions and other crimes," Ashcroft said. "Since many computer crimes -- such as trading pirated software or child pornography -- can be committed entirely online, this anonymity can significantly complicate an investigation."

Ashcroft's comments on Internet anonymity came shortly after Rep. Felix Grucci, R-N.Y., introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that would deny Internet-wiring subsidies to public schools and libraries that do not prevent the use of anonymizing e-mail and Internet devices.

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