When lawers make Internet Policy …
You end up with crap like this coming out of Kentucky.
Lawmaker’s attempt to criminalize anonymous posting doomed
Kentucky lawmaker Tim Couch has proposed a bill that would criminalize anonymous Internet posting. Web site and forum operators would be forced to collect and publicly disclose identifying information about all of the visitors who post content on their sites. Failing to do so would lead to a fine of $500 for the first offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense.The bill, which extends Chapter 369 of the Kentucky Revised Statutes, would mandate collection of the complete name, mailing address, and e-mail address of all visitors who post Internet content. Web sites would have to display names next to all relevant content and establish procedures that enable anyone to obtain the rest of the information. The bill stipulates that mailing address and e-mail address only have to be supplied to supplicants in cases where someone has posted “false or defamatory” information.
I think the main problem is that people, especially those who seek to regulate the Internet, don’t understand that all things are different where the Internet is concerned. While I do think it is a good attempt to try to try to control those would defame, and libel others on the Internet. Such a law, even if it where constitutional, would have absolutely no teeth. Fact the WORLD WIDE WEB is bigger than Kentucky. How many web hosts are based in, or even have a presence in Kentucky? I don’t think it is that many.
