Schneier on Security

ForReal • April 14, 2007 3:58 AM

Bruce,
I expect that the FBI's relationship to child porn is about the same as it was to the communist party. The FBI needed the CPUSA as a viable enemy so as to prosper in the Washington anti-commie ferment so the FBI supported existing cells and created them where they did not exist. At one time, about half the membership of the CPUSA and more than half the budget were courtesy of the FBI.
A similar situation exists with the FBI and child porn. With an added flip, traces of "child porn" can be found, one way or another, on just about anybody's computer. Or at least the possibility of it being there provides a reason for in depth confiscation, search, and forensic anaylsis of anyone's computer.
While I'm sure that there are real "child pornographers" and "appreciators" out there, there is far too much child and near child based crap, a lot of it free, to be there unless it was being pushed.
If I can find this garbage, or rather have it pushed at me, without trying and wanting to, it's rather hard to believe that there is a serious effort being made to shut this industry down.
Rather it's a convenient stick to beat up on just about anyone.