The news is better, and worse, than early coverage suggested. ISPs Agree to Block Access to C-Porn Web Sites and Usenet Groups

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

________________________________________
From: Declan McCullagh [declan () well com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2008 4:36 PM
To: David Farber
Cc: Lauren Weinstein
Subject: Re: [IP] ISPs Agree to Block Access to C-Porn Web Sites and Usenet Groups

The news is better, and worse, than early coverage suggested.

It's worse in that although New York attorney general Andrew Cuomo found
child porn on just 88 Usenet newsgroups, the ISPs are pulling the plug
on tens of thousands as a response. This is a little like burning down a
library because you don't like one book in it.

Here's an excerpt from our coverage:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9964895-38.html
Time Warner Cable said it will cease to offer customers access to any
Usenet newsgroups, a decision that will affect customers nationwide.
Sprint said it would no longer offer any of the tens of thousands of
alt.* Usenet newsgroups. Verizon's plan is to eliminate some "fairly
broad newsgroup areas."

It's better in that the actual statement from Cuomo doesn't talk about
Web blocking of, say, overseas Web sites (something that Verizon, for
instance, strenuously denies it is doing and raises questions about
multiple-hostnames-per-IP-address and deep packet inspection). It merely
talks about the broadband providers agreeing to "purge their servers of
child porn websites."

Which is something they already do.

The interesting thing is that Cuomo did this through strong-arm tactics,
rather than working with the legislature to enact a law, the usual
process. I guess he's taken lessons from his predecessor and has
probably read this court opinion:
http://www.cdt.org/speech/pennwebblock/20040910memorandum.pdf

-Declan



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