Weekly column: Utah, Michigan e-mail laws spell trouble for senders [fs]

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

http://news.com.com/2010-1028_3-5761463.html

Why ribaldry could earn you prison time
June 27, 2005, 4:00 AM PT
By Declan McCullagh

Send a raunchy e-mail to a minor, and you may wind up in jail.

That's the thrust of a new law about to take effect in Utah and Michigan 
that could become a harbinger for the rest of the nation.

Starting Friday, parents in those two states will be able to add their 
children's e-mail addresses to a "do not contact" registry. Anyone who 
goes ahead and sends e-mail deemed to be off-color or "harmful to 
minors" could be imprisoned for up to three years.

The idea sounds wholesome enough, but it could snare legitimate Internet 
companies who rely on e-mail to contact their customers. Critics say it 
could capture discussions or advertisements relating to homosexuality, 
alcohol, sex, cigarettes, certain pharmaceuticals, gambling and more.

[...remainder snipped...]
_______________________________________________
Politech mailing list
Archived at http://www.politechbot.com/
Moderated by Declan McCullagh (http://www.mccullagh.org/)