NPR 4 THE DEAF: We Hear It Even When U Can’t

FRESH AIR

Today’s Internet users have become accustomed to stories of hacking, identity theft and cyberattacks, but there was a time when the freedom and anonymity of the Web were new, and no one was sure what rules — if any — applied to its use. Many thought the Internet was beyond government regulation, its very chaos a source of creativity and strength. Those early days are the focus of technology writer Nate Anderson’s new book, The Internet Police: How Crime Went Online, and the Cops Followed. In it, Anderson recounts how the opportunities the Web offered to snoops, scam artists, spammers and pornographers inevitably drew the attention of law enforcement, which had to try to master technology to find and catch its targets. Anderson joins Fresh Air’s Dave Davies to discuss the history of Internet havens and how law enforcement responded to the lawlessness of the Net. MORE