Bill Would Bar US Companies From Net Censorship

Meredith writes "A bill that would penalize companies for assisting repressive regimes in censoring the Internet may finally be headed to a vote. The Global Online Freedom Act 'would not only prevent companies like Yahoo from giving up the goods to totalitarian regimes, but would also prohibit US-based Internet companies from blocking online content from US government or government-financed web sites in other countries.' Unfortunately, there's also a giant loophole: the president would be allowed to waive the provisions of the Act for national security purposes."

Comments

Re:So....

[ArcherB]

Well, national security can be important, believe it or not. If somebody posted the floor plan and guard rotations for a large water processing plant, would you really want a law that said nobody could tell them to take down the information? Actually, I would. What you're defending is the real-world version of security through obscurity. If knowing the floor plan and guard rotations of a water plant is sufficient for a person with ill intent to gain access, then the security situation at this water plant is insufficient. Physical security must be designed just like computer security: it works even against someone who knows exactly HOW the system works. Great, then you won't mind giving me your IP address and root/Admin password. I would also like the hours you work and when the wife and kiddies are home alone.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Re:Bad idea

[plague3106]

Our making a buck is more important than some yellow person half a world away, right?

good but a lot more is necessary

[rastoboy29]

U.S. companies should not help any government censor anything, period.  Anything else is a slippery slope--real fast.

This is why Google is evil.