Justice Dept pushing Senate to go forward with labeling requirements

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Web smut labelling plan still on cards
"This is not censorship"

By Anne Broache

Published: Tuesday 19 September 2006

The US Department of Justice has stepped up its defence of a proposal to imprison website operators who don't label pages containing sexually explicit material.

The idea, outlined in an April speech by attorney general Alberto Gonzales, is approaching a vote in Congress. Even though there have been no hearings, the legislation has been attached to two separate measures - a massive communications bill and a bill to fund large portions of the federal government including the State Department - that are likely to be considered by the full Senate this autumn.

The proposed restrictions are no different from requiring multipurpose stores such as 7-Eleven to shield pornographic magazines with so-called blinder racks, Larry Rothenberg, an attorney in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Policy, said at a panel discussion in Washington hosted by the Internet Caucus Advisory Committee on Friday.

Rothenberg said: "We have what we consider to be a rather modest [proposal] to protect consumers. This is not censorship. It's not a major break with First Amendment principles."