House vote on illegal images sweeps in Wi-Fi

[plb]

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a bill saying that anyone offering an open Wi-Fi connection to the public must report illegal images including "obscene" cartoons and drawings--or face fines of up to $300,000.

And now for the important bit:

Not one Democrat opposed the SAFE Act. Two Republicans did: Rep. Ron Paul, the libertarian-leaning presidential candidate from Texas, and Rep. Paul Broun from Georgia.

http://www.news.com/8301-13578_3-9829759-38.html

[grfgerger]

Here it comes. Internet regulation ahoy!

[Mandrik]

Wow, what an idiotic bill. "Illegal" images? "Obscene cartoons?" How are these defined?

[Dorfsmith]

This law is pure insanity and completely uncalled for. There are already laws on the books requiring people to report child pornography. This law was rushed through. I wonder what they may have added at the last minute? Thank God for Ron Paul standing up for what's right even when it's not popular.


http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20071206/023423.shtml

Congress Rushes Through Law To Protect The Children... And Make Open WiFi A Huge Liability
from the congress-folks-at-work dept
Congress was apparently busy on Wednesday moving forward with incredibly bad laws that are designed to look good to certain constituents, but are highly questionable in real terms. We already discussed the new PRO IP bill, but the House also rushed through approval of the SAFE Act, which is one of those ridiculous bills that everyone feels compelled to vote for to "protect the children." Only two Representatives voted against the bill (and, yes, for his fans, one of them was Ron Paul). As Declan McCullough's report makes clear, the backers of this bill rushed it through Congress for no clear reason. They used a procedural trick normally reserved for non-controversial laws -- and made significant changes from an earlier version, never making the new version available for public review prior to the vote.

So what's so awful about the law? Well, like most "protect the children" legislation, it goes way overboard in terms of what people are expected to do, and like most legislation having to do with technology, seems utterly clueless about how technology works. The bill would require anyone providing an "electronic communication service" or a "remote computing service" to record and report information any time they "learn" that their network was used for certain broadly defined illegal activities concerning obscene images. That's double trouble, as both the illegal activities and the classification of who counts as a service provider are so broadly defined. McCullough notes that anyone providing an open WiFi network, a social network, a domain registry or even a webmail service probably qualify under the law. Glenn Fleishman describes what the law could mean in practice, points out that anyone who runs an open WiFi network for the public is now basically required to snitch on anyone they think may be doing anything deemed "illegal" in this act, including viewing or transmitting certain obscene drawings, cartoons, sculptures, or paintings. As Fleishman notes, it "sounds like viewing an Abercrombie and Fitch catalog could qualify." Even worse, part of the snitching is that beyond sending a report and the images to the gov't, you're supposed to retain the "illegal" image yourself -- which would seem to open you up to charges of possession as well if you somehow screw up (if you follow everything exactly to the letter of the law, you are granted immunity).

If you don't snitch on anyone suspected of viewing or transmitting these images, then you, as the network "operator" are suddenly liable for huge fines. Honestly, the liability is so big that anyone offering WiFi is probably better off no longer doing so. This is one of those laws that politicians love to pass, because they think it makes them look like they're protecting children -- when all they're really doing is creating a huge and unnecessary headache for all kinds of service providers, from open WiFi operators to social networking sites to webmail offerings. But, of course, it moves forward -- with no public scrutiny and no discussion -- because almost no politician wants to allow a politician to accuse him or her of voting "against" protecting the children.

[Dorfsmith]

Wow, what an idiotic bill. "Illegal" images? "Obscene cartoons?" How are these defined?

They want to make it vague in order to scare people into reporting everything.

[Menthol Patch]

This is insanity.

We must take back our nation!

[Menthol Patch]

I could understand the Christians who support censorship of everything that does not abide by the Bible supporting this bill (even though I would disagree with them) but the fact that DEMOCRATS supported this bill is CRAZY!!!!

I'm now 100% convinced the Republicans and Democrats are really in league with each other.

[ItsTime]

No drawings are illegal under current law. I am wondering what they are talking about?

[Dorfsmith]

No drawings are illegal under current law. I am wondering what they are talking about?

The articles I read said drawings, statues, and paintings. Makes you wonder what they slipped into the bill. I hang out on some anime fan boards and we've been wondering how long it will be before there is an outright attack on anime. It's coming.

[ashlux]

We should be pushing a law through about using ridiculous acronyms for bills going through congress designed to show how "safe" and "patriotic" they are. yuck.

US PATRIOT Act
SAFE Act
etc.

[Menthol Patch]

No image should be illegal. If someone's rights was violated when the image was taken that person who took the image should be punished. But it's insane to make an image illegal. Taking certain images if someone's rights are being violated (such as a child) is appropriate. But making "images" illegal is insane!

[ashlux]

I could understand the Christians who support censorship of everything that does not abide by the Bible supporting this bill (even though I would disagree with them) but the fact that DEMOCRATS supported this bill is CRAZY!!!!

I'm now 100% convinced the Republicans and Democrats are really in league with each other.

Perhaps not in league with each other (or perhaps they are). They certainly are one in the same with minor differences thrown in just for fun.

[ItsTime]

to "protect the children" of course because the parents have become fat lazy slobs. (not that I'm skinny but you know what I mean)


The articles I read said drawings, statues, and paintings. Makes you wonder what they slipped into the bill. I hang out on some anime fan boards and we've been wondering how long it will be before there is an outright attack on anime. It's coming.

[JPFromTally]

At least it's good to see newly elected Paul Broun (R-GA) doing the right thing with Dr. Paul. He says he's a strict Constitutionalist... maybe he'll come around on the war.

[Dorfsmith]

At least it's good to see newly elected Paul Broun (R-GA) doing the right thing with Dr. Paul. He says he's a strict Constitutionalist... maybe he'll come around on the war.

Seriously. I bet the Christian groups are calling for people to send a bunch of hate mail to him. I think I'll send him a thank you letter for being brave.

[ggibson1]

We should be pushing a law through about using ridiculous acronyms for bills going through congress designed to show how "safe" and "patriotic" they are. yuck.

US PATRIOT Act
SAFE Act
etc.

I have open wireless at my house.. for all passers by... I will ignore this 'law'

[ItsTime]

I just searched my Wi-Fi and found a lot of illegal images!! Ill be reporting these ones ASAP :mad:

http://a.abcnews.com/images/Politics/72d60ef8-3645-4998-883a-37acc117d254_ms.jpeg

http://www.yannone.org/BlogPics/RonPaul2008b.jpg

http://www.ronpaulaudio.com/ronpaul4.jpg

[freelance]

Well, there's the death knell for open wi-fi owned by the private sector. What do you want to bet that government takes it over?

Okay, so what happens when I accidentally stumble upon something "illegal," like through a popup. I'm a criminal?

[ValidusCustodiae]

What did I miss?

How is this not a law that infringes upon free speech?

Scary things happening in this country. Before long there will be black vans full of listening devices patrolling the streets of our communities.

Oops, nevermind, I forgot, they've already been doing that for a long time.

[kylejack]

GO PAUL BROUN! When this guy won the special election, they said he had been running on a "Ron Paul platform". It looks like he's delivering on that! Get this guy in the Liberty Caucus!

[Mandrik]

GO PAUL BROUN! When this guy won the special election, they said he had been running on a "Ron Paul platform". It looks like he's delivering on that! Get this guy in the Liberty Caucus!

Write his name down. Patriots in politics are too few to forget.

[kylejack]

Paul Broun, Jr., the underdog in today's runoff election, is an Athens physician. His father was a state legislator for 38 years, albeit as a Democrat; however, his name endures in the Athens area, as the main highway circling the city is known as the Paul Broun Parkway. The Paul Broun running in this election, though, is light-years apart ideologically from his more liberal father. A self-described "strict constitutionalist" who is committed to "restor[ing] government according to the Constitution as our Founders intended," Broun has said that he, like Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), will "always carry a pocket Constitution" on his person while in Congress, and will "apply a four-way test to all legislation" (in essence, is each piece of legislation constitutional, moral, needed, and affordable?).

Broun is a proponent of private property rights, an opponent of illegal immigration, and a supporter of the FairTax, or national sales tax (as well as the abolition of the IRS). He is a member of the National Rifle Association and president of the local affiliate, the Georgia Sport Shooting Association. Further, he is pro-religious freedom, and is very outspoken against "the ACLU and Activist Federal Judges," who he says are "destroying America's heritage of religious freedom and religious expression."
http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=11740

He pulled off a huge upset against a candidate who refused to debate him. The dead congressman's widow and many other people had endorsed his opponent, but he still pulled it off. If we can just switch him on the war, we'll have a dyed in the wool Ron Paul Republican.

[maeqFREEDOMfree]

yeah this is passed as a whisper but will eventually come out loud and clear... i can see it now.. in a year or so something will come up and everyone will be thinking.. 'when did this become law'...how do we get people to care about what's happening before it affects us?

[billjarrett]

I'm not quite getting this on a technical level. Images viewed over a public wifi connection?

First off, I didn't think that image recognition technology worked very well, especially once you make a definition as broad as "illegal images". Does this mean that someone would have to be viewing every image you pull down over the wi-fi? Thats pretty crazy when you think about the average amount of images on a webpage, then having to sniff the traffic, and grab only the images.

And what about things like SSL websites? Hotmail is SSL, does this mean if someone gets an illegal image over hotmail the wi-fi provider must be somehow monitoring their encrypted connection? And where does this leave normal uses of SSL, like when you enter your credit card info into Amazon?

That whole article made my head hurt.

[BeFranklin]

Here it comes. Internet regulation ahoy!

Meanwhile, over at Wired magazine, they're floating another "ron paul = spam" article. #*#@()(!!:mad:

[FunkBuddha]

OMG! Ron Paul and Paul Broun hate children!!!! I can't vote for him now. ;)

Seriously, this is beyond ridiculous. You can't even have reasonable discourse on a bill that's "for the children". If you oppose it, the opposition will say that you're anti-child.

Welcome to the Nanny-State everyone... Watch your back, someone out there might be trying to "help and protect" you.

[tonyr1988]

I particularly love this post from /.


Sounds like it's time to celebrate Obscene Images Over Open Wireless Networks Day!

A link to goatse and the best wardriving software on the web... stat!

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/12/06/1354232

There's some pretty good Rudy-bashing and Paul-supporting, including:


I mean Rudy, jeez, why do I always think "9/11" when I think Rudy Guiliani? He's done so much for 9/11. I mean New York. If he's elected president, I know he'll 9/11 the whole 9/11 into a brand new bright and shiny 9/11.

9/11!

Heck yes, Slashdot gets it.

[MrCoffee]

I particularly love this post from /.



http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/12/06/1354232

There's some pretty good Rudy-bashing and Paul-supporting, including:



Heck yes, Slashdot gets it.

In all fairness, Rudy has let up on the whole 9/11 thing quite a bit.

[kylejack]

In all fairness, Rudy has let up on the whole 9/11 thing quite a bit.

Only because he was confronted about it.

[BLS]

Is this really the most FUCKING important thing these cocksuckers need to be working on?!

God DA*&(IT already....do something PRODUCTIVE YOU LOSERS!!

God I hate politicians........

[Revolution9]

At least it's good to see newly elected Paul Broun (R-GA) doing the right thing with Dr. Paul. He says he's a strict Constitutionalist... maybe he'll come around on the war.

Yeah and his anagram say Ron Paul B U..heh

Well time to go get all the local coffee shop owners fired up.. I hope whomever i get my free wi-fi broadcast from is like most Americans and pays no mind to this drivel.

Best
Randy

[hillertexas]

:)
http://homepage.mac.com/leperous/.Pictures/you.jpg

[quickmike]

Wow, what an idiotic bill. "Illegal" images? "Obscene cartoons?" How are these defined?

I dont know. Maybe something like this?

http://photos-a.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v167/34/123/51702599/n51702599_30471872_9508.jpg

[KewlRonduderules]

Here is the act in PDF format:

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:h3791eh.txt.pdf