Kentucky Representative Tim Couch wants to know who is saying what on the Internet. He has proposed legislation to make anonymous postings online illegal. It would face a daunting challenge on constitutional grounds.
Couch would require posters to include their real name, address and e-mail address and fine site hosts for filing to required such identification.
It seems to be another “impulse buy” bill from a legislator with far too much time on his hands. For a prior column, click here
The Supreme Court has protected the right of anonymity, as discussed here. Kentucky will spend a copious amount of money defending this law and probably lose on a variety of constitutional grounds. There is no question that cyber bullying is a serious problem (which Couch attempts to address in this legislation). However, this is the wrong means to address the problem.
For the story about of Kentucky, click here
DeeplyWorried:
I frankly wonder if this is blowback from the story posted here citing a Kentucky newspaper last week? It did (my posting) show the powerful senator from Kentucky and the Ethics czar in an unflattering light…..
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Exactly, DW, and I think this proposed legislation is a disturbing variation of the old Sedition act of 1798, just given new 21st century “clothing.” In other words, these legislators want ANY criticism of government or government officials STIFLED. And what better way to do that than to remove their privacy and have them jailed. That’s how this new proposed legislation comes across to me. I could be mistaken on this point, but I doubt it.
whooliebacon, you are right! The NSA may get us into wind power yet. National Emergency and all, you know!
Tim Couch should really focus his efforts on a more global ‘proactive’ and ‘educational’ initiative. We should be teaching our students to be safe and responsible online. Educating our students to be good cyber citizens is what we need to fight this battle not more legislation.
Tim Couch should call i-SAFE (www.isafe.org). They are a Congressionally funded non-profit teaching students, parents, and seniors how to be safe on the internet. This is a MUCH BETTER solution.
Senator the NSA is near maximum electrical capacity gleaning the very information you seem to think is anonymous.
I frankly wonder if this is blowback from the story posted here citing a Kentucky newspaper last week? It did (my posting) show the powerful senator from Kentucky and the Ethics czar in an unflattering light…..
This story ties back to several past posts. Certainly the puppy video should not be removed. American’s need to know what our soldiers are doing and what is being done to them. That information is, in large part, being kept from us. Then there’s the journalists. A federal shield law is long overdue. A government that wants to punish those who question or oppose it has many tools at its disposal. Jail time and fines are jackhammers in the toolbox!
But what about vigilante threats against the marine and his family? And what happens when the press basically turns into ISN from Babylon 5 (as it has, with some exceptions, since bush arrived on the scene)? Valerie Plame’s identity was exposed by several reporters who willingly allowed themselves to be used by cheney to silence a critic of the war. Those reporters should have refused to report that story without a completely open attribution of sources. And people whose lives are ruined by false reporting should have some recourse.
I don’t know how to juggle all these competing issues. I’d like to hear suggestions.