‘We know who you are’ – RIAA spams IM users • The Register

‘We know who you are’ – RIAA spams IM users

Psyops

By Andrew Orlowski in San Francisco • Get more from this author

Posted in Music and Media, 30th April 2003 00:47 GMT

Understand how application security is evolving

Rattled by last week's Grokster ruling, the RIAA has stepped up its psyops by spamming IM users with warning messages.

The messages are sprayed around the file sharing networks using the built-in chat function. One ominous message is intended to give the impression that the Pigopolists' Police are watching your every move:-

[You] "are not anonymous and you can easily be identified."

"By reaching out to individuals directly through these educational instant messages, we hope to encourage individuals to take the necessary steps to stop stealing music," says the RIAA's Cary Sherman, quoted here.

You probably receive 'educational ' email every day. It's called spam. It's information litter, and reduces the overall quality of incoming signals as surely as a poisoned MP3 file ruins the quality of your listening experience.

These people have no respect for the environment.

Now, while the RIAA says it can identify you, it needs a warrant to get your name. And that process got a whole lot easier last week when Verizon was ordered to hand over the identities of two P2P traders. That decision cannot be underestimated, and has important constitutional implications. Here's why [a must-read for US citizens]. ®