CNET: Congress targets social network sites

A disturbing federal law has been proposed that makes the U.S. Internet landscape look more like China’s. From News.com:

MySpace and other social-networking sites like LiveJournal.com and Facebook are the potential targets for a proposed federal law that would effectively require most schools and libraries to render those Web sites inaccessible to minors, an age group that includes some of the category’s most ardent users.

“When children leave the home and go to school or the public library and have access to social-networking sites, we have reason to be concerned,” Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican, told CNET News.com in an interview.

Fitzpatrick and fellow Republicans, including House Speaker Dennis Hastert, on Wednesday endorsed new legislation (click here for PDF) that would cordon off access to commercial Web sites that let users create public “Web pages or profiles” and also offer a discussion board, chat room, or e-mail service.

I don’t envy the challenge for parents to keep on top of the online activity of their kids, but this certainly doesn’t seem like the right way.

22 thoughts on “CNET: Congress targets social network sites

  1. Fitzpatrick and fellow Republicans including House Speaker Dennis Hastert on Wednesday endorsed new legislation click here for PDF that would cordon off access to commercial Web sites that let users create public â??Web pages .

  2. Fitzpatrick and fellow Republicans including House Speaker Dennis Hastert on Wednesday endorsed new legislation click here for PDF that would cordon off access to commercial Web sites that let users create public â??Web pages .

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