IP: The Senate is at it again. Time for responsibility to start in

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

[ to quote a quote from Mondays New York Times "Senates Internet Legislation
Under Fire by Jeri Clausing


> http://www.boston.com/dailynews/wirehtml/209/New_bills_raise_challenges_fo
> r_Inte.htm


Dave Farber. a professor of Computer Science at the University of Pennsylvania
and a Board Member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said that the
Congress was in a panic, passing bills on issues they did not understand or
that they know will eventually be struck down as unconsitutional"


"It is an election year coming up, and let'sbe kind and say they like to put a
good face to their communities, even if they do things that damage their
community in the long run, which these do," he said. "But there are nicer ways
to protect our children thean doing things that take away their rights when
they grow up."


end of NYT quote djf]


from the Boston Globe..




New bills raise challenges for Internet advocates


              Reuters, 


              SAN FRANCISCO (Wired) - In a move that critics say
              seriously threatens the right to free expression on the Web,
              the US Senate passed legislation last week that would restrict
              access to certain Internet material deemed ``harmful to
              minors.'' 


              The senate bill, sponsored by Senator Dan Coats (R-Indiana),
              also known as the ``CDA II'' bill, ``would punish commercial
              online distributors of material deemed harmful to minors with
              up to six months in jail and a 50,000 fine.'' 


              Meanwhile, a bill by Senator John McCain (R-Arizona),
              requires that schools and libraries use blocking and filtering
              software on public-use computers in order to block children's
              access to ``inappropriate'' materials. 


              Both bills were passed as a part of the Appropriations Bill last
              week, after a unanimous vote by the Senate earlier in the
              week to add them as amendments to that bill. 


........


http://www.boston.com/dailynews/wirehtml/209/New_bills_raise_challenges_for_
Inte.htm