Harrisburg Happening

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Bill may ban anonymous postings

A bill to ban Bill may ban anonymous postings may be introduced in New Jersey -

http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2006/Bills/A1500/1327_I1.HTM

This bill would require an operator of any interactive computer service or an Internet service provider to establish, maintain and enforce a policy requiring an information content provider who posts messages on a public forum website either to be identified by legal name and address or to register a legal name and address with the operator or provider prior to posting messages on a public forum website.
The bill requires an operator of an interactive computer service or an Internet service provider to establish and maintain reasonable procedures to enable any person to request and obtain disclosure of the legal name and address of an information content provider who posts false or defamatory information about the person on a public forum website.
In addition, the bill makes any operator or Internet service provider liable for compensatory and punitive damages as well as costs of a law suit filed by a person damaged by the posting of such messages if the operator or Internet service provider fails to establish, maintain and enforce the policy required by section 2 of the bill.

4 Comments:

Blogger Anniken Davenport, Esquire said...

I see the practical problem - but I'm not sure a law is needed. After all, how seriously do we take someone's opinion on someone else posted on a public forum? I sure don't. On the other hand, the owner of the forum benefits from the traffic generated by the forum, but has no responsibility for the content? That doesn't seem right either.

March 07, 2006  
Blogger Anniken Davenport, Esquire said...

They haven't blocked me the last few days - don't know why except maybe I am becoming a pain in the ass. I have emailed just about every reporter at the paper, bitching about the censorship.

March 07, 2006  
Blogger Anniken Davenport, Esquire said...

Yes - which fork to use is an allowed topic.

March 07, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you don't like the way PennLive.com treats you, why do you hang out there? They have just as much right to police their forums in a manner that they consider to be appropriate as you do to ask (or order) an unwelcome guest to leave your house.

March 10, 2006  

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