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December 14, 2006

McCain Wants To Regulate Internet

Topics: Political News and commentaries

Amanda at Think Progress reminds us that John McCain has, in the past, made it clear that he doesn't like the blogosphere, and now he's introduced legislation that would treat blogs like Internet service providers and hold them responsible for all activity in the comments sections and user profiles. You'll find highlights of the legislation here. It is a poorly thought out piece of legislation that would require commercial websites and personal blogs to report illegal images or videos posted by their users or pay fines of up to $300,000, bloggers with comment sections may face "even stiffer penalties" than ISPs. As Amanda points out, McCain's legislation could deal a serious blow to the blogosphere. Lacking resources to police their sites, many individual blogs may have to shut down open discussion.

(Via Think Progress) Kevin Bankston of the Electronic Frontier Foundation notes that this proposal may be based more "on fear or political considerations rather than on the facts." When he introduced his legislation to the Senate, McCain offered no evidence that children are being victimized by people who post comments on blogs.

Redstate calls it another example of why McCain has such little support from social conservatives:

Either this misguided legislation is completely honorable, and McCain's just that naïve, or it's another sloppy attempt to throw a bone to the socon base. We think it's a blatantly crass attempt, insultingly so, with the implicit assumption that right wingers are suspicious of internet freedom. As John Cleese would say, it's irritating but obvious - like setting Julie Andrews on fire.

Daily Pundit says, "If He's The Candidate, I'm Staying Home - Again":

McCain is what is known as a statist conservative. He trusts the power and authority of the state a hell of a lot more than he does you.

So, good idea - or bad idea?

The answer is - bad idea. When you find a proposed idea from a politician that both the Right and the Left condemn (TalkLeft calls it McCain's latest folly), it's a good thing that the issue has joined the two sides on common ground - but you can rest assured the idea itself is not a good one. Like the McCainFeingold bill, McCain's newest folly has good intentions (as in intended to look like it has), it's poorly thought out, it's misguided, and it will have disastrous consequences.

Posted by Richard at December 14, 2006 8:00 AM

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