Another U.S. Attempt To Ban Online Gambling
Published: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 Online-Casinos.com
ANOTHER U.S. ATTEMPT TO MUZZLE THE INTERNET
New Jersey Assemblyman launches Bill to control anonymity of posts
Late last year there was news of a federal US attempt to control discourtesy
and abuse on the Internet (see previous Online-Casinos.com & InfoPowa reports)
and this year we have seen Rep. Bob Goodlatte launch his latest attempt
to ban online gambling that includes proposals to censor at ISP level.
Online-Casinos.com readers might be forgiven for assuming that American politicians
seem to have developed an (unhealthy) interest in reducing the freedom of
the Internet, and the latest attack on this global communications medium
is not reassuring.
New Jersey Assemblyman Peter J. Biondi has submitted a Bill that would
make certain operators of interactive computer services and Internet Service
Providers liable to persons injured by false or defamatory messages posted on
public forum websites, and have an adverse effect on the choice of anonymity
by posters.
In what could become a privacy and database nightmare for internet operators,
the bill proposes to force websites to police their users and real time messages.
Here's an example from the New Jersey politician's proposal:
"The operator of any interactive computer service or an Internet service
provider shall establish, maintain and enforce a policy to require any information
content provider who posts written messages on a public forum website either
to be identified by a legal name and address, or to register a legal name and
address with the operator of the interactive computer service or the Internet
service provider through which the information content provider gains access
to the interactive computer service or Internet, as appropriate.
"An operator of an interactive computer service or an Internet service
provider shall establish and maintain reasonable procedures to enable any person
to request and obtain disclosure of the legal name and address of an information
content provider who posts false or defamatory information about the person
on a public forum website."
Online-Casinos.com readers can find full details on this further attempt to
tamper with the Internet at http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2006/Bills/A1500/1327_I1.HTM
