Law enforcement want ISPs to create and retain records of user activities

The US Attorney General and the Director of the FBI met with executives from some of the largest ISPs in the US to suggest that they create and retain records to benefit law enforcement if/when they eventually come knocking. There is much speculation that this voluntary suggestion will soon become mandatory:

U.S. Wants Companies to Keep Web Usage Records - New York Times:

The Justice Department is not asking the Internet companies to give it data about users, but rather to retain information that could be subpoenaed through existing laws and procedures, Mr. Roehrkasse said.

While initial proposals were vague, executives from companies that attended the meeting said they gathered that the department was interested in records that would allow them to identify which individuals visited certain Web sites and possibly conducted searches using certain terms.

It also wants the Internet companies to retain records about whom their users exchange e-mail with, but not the contents of e-mail messages, the executives said. The executives spoke on the condition that they not be identified because they did not want to offend the Justice Department.