From: Hermit (hidden@lucifer.com)
Date: Wed Mar 20 2002 - 03:05:37 MST
[Next up: The politicos in Harrisburg require ISPs to manually filter all off-color Usenet posts. Actually, the current law could be read to require just that. --Declan]
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From: \"Richard M. Smith\" <rms@computerbytesman.com>
To: \"\'Declan McCullagh\'\" <declan@well.com>, <rms@computerbytesman.com>
Subject: In Pennsylvania, ISPs now must block child pornography Web sites
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 2002 21:16:11 -0500
Declan,
ISPs are going to have monitor Internet usage of their Pennsylvania customers starting next month according to a new law that was just passed by the General Assembly. If a customer attempts to go to a Web
site which is known to distribute child pornography, then the ISP must block access to the Web site. Web sites are identified by the Pennsylvania AG\'s office.
Since most ISPs today do not do any monitoring of Web traffic, it is going to be difficult for many of them to implement the requirements of this law. ISPs who attempt to oppose this law will probably will be in
for some bad PR.
In addition, once content filtering is in place at ISPs, it can be used to block any type of objectionable Web site. Online casinos, for example, seem like an obvious next step.
A copy of the law can be found here:
[url]http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/BI/BT/2001/0/HB1333P3184.HTM]REQUIRING INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS TO REMOVE OR DISABLE ACCESS TO CHILD PORNOGRAPHY SITES ON THE INTERNET.[/url]
An Associated Press article about the law can be found here:
[url=http://www.msnbc.com/news/725968.asp]ISPs must block content from users. Companies responsible for barring access to child porn[/url]
Richard M. Smith
[url]http://www.ComputerBytesMan.com[/url]
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