Internet service providers (ISPs) are the companies that connect us to the Internet. ISPs are able to collect a significant amount of information on their customers, including their IP addresses and browsing history. Some ISPs maintain data on their customers for an extended period of time and others do not. For example, Comcast said in 2006 that is retains customer records for six months.
While there is no standard for retaining customer records among Internet service providers, federal law enforcement officials would like there to be one. This week, the U.S. Department of Justice requested that Congress pass a law that would require ISPs to retain information on their customers in order to enhance the ability to investigate Internet crimes. When questioned by members of Congress, the DOJ did not offer any specific details for its plan, but the Justice Department's Jason Weinstein has suggested that two years worth of data retention "would be a useful starting point."