An agreement has been struck between the United States and the European Union that would grant U.S. authorities access to domestic and intra-European wire transfer records. The justification for such an arrangement, as always, is to monitor and inhibit terrorists’ ability to transfer money around, but the scope of the agreement is so broad that it will undoubtedly trap all manner of other ‘fish’ in its driftnet, including transactions relating to the global online gaming industry. (Not unlike the proposed Australian internet filter, supposedly aimed at blocking child porn, which somehow managed to blacklist sites belonging to dentists, pet-care facilities and school cafeteria consultants.)
The gaming industry has proven itself capable of policing the use of its mechanisms for purposes other than gaming entertainment, but this has not stopped any number of governments from continually offering up the misinformation that there is the potential for use of the industry by terrorists. They’re wrong and they should be challenged on this point. Read more.
