FBI chief bangs drum for ISP data retention

FBI director Robert Mueller has called on ISPs to record their customers' online activities, a move that pre-empts a debate over privacy and law enforcement in Washington next year.

Mueller said in a speech at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference in Boston: "Terrorists co-ordinate their plans cloaked in the anonymity of the internet, as do violent sexual predators prowling chatrooms.

"All too often, we find that before we can catch these offenders, internet service providers have unwittingly deleted the very records that would help us identify these offenders and protect future victims. We must find a balance between the legitimate need for privacy and law enforcement's clear need for access."

The speech to the law enforcement group, which approved a resolution on the topic earlier in the day, echoes other calls from Bush administration officials to force private companies to record information about customers. Attorney general Alberto Gonzales, for instance, told Congress last month "this is a national problem that requires federal legislation".

It's not clear exactly what a data retention law would require. One proposal would go beyond ISPs and require domain registrars to maintain records too. And during private meetings with industry officials, FBI and Justice Department representatives have cited the desirability of also forcing search engines to keep logs.

A representative of the IACP said he was not able to provide a copy of the resolution.

CNET News.com's Anne Broache contributed to this report

Declan McCullagh writes for CNET News.com