SSSCA Hearing October 25th: Free Software Threatened

A story at NewsForge details the latest on the state of Senator Fritz Hollings' proposed SSSCA, which may be the most radical attempt at legislative oversight over electronic goods ever attempted in the U.S. Opposition from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Free Software Foundation, the Association of Computing Machinery and others notwithstanding, Hollings' efforts to impede a free market in computer hardware and software through legislative fiat has been little commented on, in part because Hollings refuses to release much information about it. Eben Moglen is quoted to good effect on the risk a bill officializing and regulating all digital devices would pose to Free software. Under the SSSCA, it would be "unlawful to manufacture, import, offer to the public, provide or otherwise traffic in any interactive digital device that does not include and utilize certified security technologies." And that rules out most Free software, right from the start. (Read on for some more information.)

Besides writing your own representatives (email and faxes are probably better than phone calls), note that according to Hollings' contact page, "South Carolina residents may call, toll free, 1-800-922-8503" to reach him. In addition, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and the Privacy Center will be holding a meeting on "Security or Surveillance? Technology's Impact After September 11" on October 22 at Washington, DC's National Press Club; you can email for details on this meeting.

Comments

Be careful in your criticisms

[CmdrTroll]

SSSCA was doomed to fail from the start because it was too far-reaching. Too many monied interests (starting with PC companies and ending with toaster makers) would oppose it on cost grounds alone. It is sponsored by people who keep the details secret, because they know the details don't make sense and people will laugh at them. Let's face it - the Senate is no more prepared to make technical decisions than they are to engineer a new CPU.

As an avid media and software pirate, though, I am deeply concerned that the FSF, the Slashdot community, et al, will focus too much of their attention on SSSCA, and when a more modest measure (such as CPRM) reaches Capitol Hill, the powers that be will view us as naysayers. We need to be careful not to express too much dissent for hopeless measures like the SSSCA, so that we do not stand accused of crying wolf later. Because any hinderance to the free exchange of copyrighted materials hurts us all and strikes another blow to the First Amendment.

-CT