January 10, 2005

Curious George: BitTorrent Machinations Do undercover officers really have to reveal their idenity if they're asked to? Could a torrent site that's closed to new members and who's tracker isn't visible to non-members simply ask everyone on the site if they are narks or not?
posted by FedoraUndershirt 19 years ago
  • I wish I could remember, but there's a site that's geared towards them liberal hippy protester types, and it had a sort of true/false section where they explain that no, undercover cops do not have to tell you the truth if you ask. Someone here may know of it.
  • Doh! I don't know why I didn't think of that.
  • You can delete this.
  • This reminds me of the pirate BBSes of the early 90s and their typetrough screen where you had to assure them you weren't a cop.
  • (of course they got busted anyway)
  • I still want my hippy site, dammit!
  • Doesn't matter if you're a hippy or a klan member. Undercover cops DO NOT have to tell you the truth when you ask them if they are cops.(Ever heard of anyone getting off a court case because a cop lied to them about his identity?) Doesn't stop every dime-bag seller out there from asking, though.
  • tracicle, are you a cop?
  • Here's a good article on entrapment and deception by LEOs from Erowids excellent print letter Erowid Extracts.
  • I was downloading on limewire the other day and somebody wanted to do a chat. I accepted and about the second thing he typed was "I am big brothr" (sic), then went on to tell me he was with the cops. He then asked me where I was which I then pointed out to him that it didn't really make sense for me to tell him that. Anyway, it was weird. Probably some 13 year old trying to rattle my cage.
  • I am not a cop. *uncrosses fingers*
  • It's worth pointing out that this strategy of asking site visitors to admit whether they're law enforcement is particularly useless because most copyright investigation is done privately by the RIAA and MPAA and their contractors. The police generally have neither the budget nor the inclination to waste time investigating some private file traders. Once the MPAA/RIAA has enough evidence to make it worthwhile, then they pull some political strings and get an enforcement action started. And since in most jurisdictions evidence obtained illegally by a private party is completely admissible in court, there are no bounds on the tactics of the RIAA in gathering evidence.
  • Tracicle is an APF officer....