said by 81399672:our phone records held by phone company for many years, that goes for landline and for cell phones. What makes internet any different?
There is a private, economic basis for the collection of phone numbers called in order to facilitate billing for tariffed telephone service. The minimal record keeping allowed and mandated for that purpose is reasonable to comply with auditing requirements of the tax authorities of both state and federal governments.
There is NO JUSTIFICATION for ISPs to keep records of Internet communications because Internet communications are not billed for by occurence, duration and distance like tariffed local and long distance telephone services. PERIOD!
If probable cause, not a fascist manifestation of wholesale distrust of the entire electorate, is established and sworn to, a warrant may be issued for contemporaneous surveillance of a subjects Internet communications. The system need not abrogate the individual and collective right of the citizenry to remain sacrosanct from abusive governmental authority.
The requirement to keep records as proposed by the government serves no purpose in a free society.