I am not a number! I am a human being!

A Federal judge in Seattle has held that IP Addresses are not personal information.  The argument states that to be personally identifying, it must identify a person, but IP Addresses identify a computer.

What does that mean for the average joe?  An IP Address is the network equivalent of a telephone number.  It is not necessarily identify a computer, it could be a network router, cable TV box, your TIVO, or even a cellphone.  And that is the point the Judge is attempting to make, when you have someone’s IP Address, you have identified part of the internet, but not who is currently using that device.

Now let’s see this apply to the RIAA, and other privacy groups….

Judge Rules IP Addresses Not “Personally Identifiable”