FC: Letter to FTC from Congress asks about Net regulations

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

> From: "Diamond, Richard" <Richard.Diamond () mail house gov>
> Subject: Congressional letter on Internet Regulation
> Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2000 10:43:04 -0500
>
> Today, 21 Members of Congress sent the letter below to the Chairman of the
> FTC to discover whether he intends to continue last year's excellent policy
> of not proposing new regulations for the Internet.
>
> Richard Diamond, Office of Rep. Armey, 202-225-7772
> www.freedom.gov
>
> The Honorable Robert Pitofsky
> Chairman, Federal Trade Commission
> Pennsylvania Avenue at Sixth Street, NW
> Washington, DC 20580
>
> Dear Chairman Pitofsky:
>
>         On June 25th, 1999, 26 Members of Congress wrote to you concerned
> about potential government regulation of e-commerce.  While a growing part
> of our lives, e-commerce is still in its infancy and should be handled with
> a light touch.
>
>         In your response on July 2, you were quite explicit that "except for
> law enforcement actions challenging fraud and deception in advertising" and
> to carry out the requirements of the Children's Online Privacy Protection
> Act, the FTC does not have any plans to regulate the Internet.  You further
> stated that "The FTC has consistently taken the position that
> self-regulation is the least intrusive and most efficient means to ensure
> fair information practices online."
>
>         We are now in the 21st century and the FTC has a choice to make: to
> regulate the Internet, or not to regulate the Internet.  For the record,
> does the FTC intend to propose new regulations on the Internet in the year
> 2000?  You had a good answer in 1999; does it still hold in 2000?
>
>         We look forward to your response.
>
>                                         Sincerely:
> Dick Armey
> Tom DeLay
> JC Watts, Jr.
> John Boehner
> Greg Walden
> John T. Doolittle
> Rick Hill
> JD Hayworth
> Paul Ryan
> Gary Miller
> Wayne Gilchrest
> Ben Gilman
> Jim Kolbe
> Roscoe Bartlett
> Mark Foley
> Roy Blunt
> Steve Kuykendall
> Jennifer Dunn
> Gil Gutknecht
> Charles H. Taylor
> Michael Simpson

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