It's the end of the Web as we know it...

[lilblackcat]

Everyone knows the first thing you do when you get DSL for the first time at home is look up porn online. Once you get over that, you enjoy the lightening speed web. The one place in the world where freedom of speech runs rampant and all things are open for discussion.

Well, guess what happened today? A new law has passed that is shutting down Porn sites all over the World Wide Web! What I find crazy is that I know every damn thing about that Runaway Bride and the MJ trial but did not hear a peep about this law coming to pass! When did this happen? Who signed this bill? When was the vote? What does this mean for the future of the internet?

Well here is a good link to find all of the details:
http://www.fleshbot.com/sex/straight/text/new-2257-regulations-104871.php

Or go ahead and Google a little thing called:
2257 Compliance Laws

[lilblackcat]

I took a moment to read this law and it's final amendments and how I am interpreting it (and I think this is correct, it is fancy lawyer speak after all so I could be a little off) but it simply is saying that you CAN have adult content online ONLY if you have a photocopy/records of every person's ID or Passport who appear in the photos as well as every person who reposts the photos on the internet. At any time you can be audited and if you cannot produce said identifications/paperwork then you get in big trouble buster!

http://my.execpc.com/~xxxlaw/2257Tables5.24.05.htm

So basically they are not saying it is illegal to have porn on the net, they are just setting up so many impossible sneaky hoops to jump through that in reality no one could possibly do it.

They can't touch anyone outside of the US, so in reality it will have such a small effect on the world wide web as a whole. There will still be loads of free porn on the web, but American government will have that much more control over it's citizens.

Really it won't greatly effect my life, but what gets under my skin here is that something like this can come to pass and no one knows about it. If it sticks, what other regulations might come to pass next in such a sneaky fashion?

I know that they will use the excuse that they are "protecting the children" and maybe that is what their intentions are, but the reality is there are much better ways to do this. I have a child, and I protect her by keeping a close eye on what she is doing on the internet. Period.

Simply stated; If people are responsible for their children and don't let them disappear into their rooms on computers that they know nothing about they will be fine. Parents just need to educate themselves and pay attention to what their kids are up to.

[neatomajick]

I think the law only applies to primary and secondary producers. And it's not really a new law; it's a revision of an old law to ensure that the same rules that apply to porn mags, movies, etc., also apply to internet porn.