Hullo there. (Photo: flickr.com/nate)

Hey, it's the 20th anniversary of the invention of text messaging! How shall we celebrate? How about with an attempt by law enforcement agencies to make sure they have access to your old SMS messages, in case they need to issue any search warrants?

CNET reports:

A constellation of law enforcement groups has asked the U.S. Senate to require that wireless companies retain that information, warning that the lack of a current federal requirement "can hinder law enforcement investigations."

Currently there's no standard industry practice on archiving text messages. As recently as 2010, T-Mobile (for example) wasn't saving them at all--though that doesn't mean you should use their wireless services to plan your next bodega robbery. But the Senate Judiciary Committee is currently considering possible revisions to the 1986 Electronic Communications Act, which is now woefully outdated, and cops want a requirement they (or at least the logs of who texted who when) be retained for two years.

If the measure is adopted, it'll mean carriers have to hold on to quite a bit of data: CNET says there were more than 2 trillion text messages sent in the U.S. alone over the last year.

Luckily the measure hasn't been adopted yet, so there's still time to move all communications with your drug dealer over to trained pigeons.

A hypothetical Silk Road customer. (Getty Images)

Australian authorities have put supposedly anonymized users surfing Silk Road for weed and other sundries on notice: the coppers are one step ahead of you. A joint press release published by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Customs and Border Protection Service on Wednesday may serve as notice to anyone who is happily booting TOR and using the miracle of the Internet to score weapons-grade kush:

Silk Road is an overseas based illicit e-commerce website which facilitates the sale of drugs, weapons and other items prohibited under Australian law.

Law enforcement is well aware of this method of drug procurement and other illicit e-commerce platforms and are committed to identifying and combating users importing narcotics via this website into Australia.

This warning comes after a Melbourne resident was snagged for allegedly using Silk Road to transport unspecified narcotics into the country.

The most interesting part of the release might be a quote from customs official Alana Sullivan, who said, "Persons who buy or sell through online market places, on so-called 'anonymous' networks should understand that they are not guaranteed anonymity."

Ms. Sullivan's words may be a splash of cold water in the faces of  TOR users and Silk Road consumers around the world, or at least in the United States and Europe. If Aussie cops know where your Bitcoins go, who is to say American or European authorities are in the dark?