House Bill Won't Criminalize Free Wi-Fi Operators

Velcroman98 sends word of a bill that passed the US House of Representatives by a lopsided vote of 409 to 2. It would require everyone who runs an open Wi-Fi connection to report illegal images, including "obscene" cartoons and drawings, or be fined up to $300,000. The Securing Adolescents From Exploitation-Online (SAFE) Act was rushed through the House without any hearings or committee votes, and the version that passed on a voice vote reportedly differs substantially from the last publicly available version. CNET reports that sentiment in favor of such a bill is strong in the Senate as well. Update: 12/07 06:22 GMT by Z : As clarified in an Ars writeup, this summary is a bit off-base. The bill doesn't require WiFi owners to police anything, merely 'stiffening the penalties' for those who make no effort to report obvious child pornography.

Comments

Orwell was Right

[memojuez]

We're just a few laws away from having a Police State controlling every aspect of our lives.

Re:Sad, but predictable

[Anonymous Coward]

Defense jobs? Wow, talk about worthless jobs that are just corporate welfare that leech off decent tax payers. How many real jobs like manufacturing or production of something that the economy can actually use instead of something that just explodes and has no use beyond that?