Stock up on your mega terabyte hard drives, all you data administrators in law firms and accountancy practices. Yes, folks, the laws pertaining to electronic communications are tightening up around your necks.

The regulators have always been able to sub-poena records, but they are beefing up their interpretation of SOX and SEC rules by targetting email and IM records. In theory that is good for consumers, making it easier to prosecute illegal practices, but beware, human nature dictates that the trend will continue in the wrong direction.

Next step in record keeping

The noose is tightening around the neck of all high-flying corporations and admins are starting to scratch their heads, wondering how to store electronically generated office banter, flirting and bullying in a safe and respectable manner. The ticker tape machines and organically generated holographic disk drive manufacturers are going to have a field day in the next few years, trying to meet the demand.

The data noose tightens

In fact, soon, every Tom, Dick and Harry who dares to be in business and dares to use emails and IMs in their daily work routine will be engulfed in legislation too. Rush down to your hard drive store and start that never-ending Terabyte HDD daisy chain collection.

And thereafter, of course, every home using hotmailer and outlooker will have to archive their chats to Aunt Nellie and their illicit lovers and bona fide friends, just in case big brother comes knocking, or Dr Phil's research team demand proof that you weren't chatting up your wife's mother.

A mad information-driven world coming your way, courtesy of the law makers.