Court affirms online content law unconstitutional

Gerco · 07-24-2008

Associated Press - July 22, 2008 7:33 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal appeals court says it agrees that the Child Online Protection Act is overly broad and vague.

The decision by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia also found the law violates the First Amendment. That's because online filtering and other parental control tools offer a less restrictive way to protect children from inappropriate content.

Today's decision affirms a lower court ruling that struck down the 1998 law meant to bar Web sites from making harmful content available to minors over the Internet. The law has not yet taken effect. It's the latest twist in a decade-long legal battle that has already reached the Supreme Court and could be headed back there.

An ACLU attorney argues that Congress has been trying to restrict speech on the Internet far more than it can restrict speech in books and magazines. But, he said, "the rules should be the same."
http://www.kmph.com/Global/story.asp...&nav=menu612_2

07-24-2008	#1
Gerco Posting from a Sock Puppet Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Northern GA Posts: 80	Court affirms online content law unconstitutional Associated Press - July 22, 2008 7:33 PM ET WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal appeals court says it agrees that the Child Online Protection Act is overly broad and vague. The decision by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia also found the law violates the First Amendment. That's because online filtering and other parental control tools offer a less restrictive way to protect children from inappropriate content. Today's decision affirms a lower court ruling that struck down the 1998 law meant to bar Web sites from making harmful content available to minors over the Internet. The law has not yet taken effect. It's the latest twist in a decade-long legal battle that has already reached the Supreme Court and could be headed back there. An ACLU attorney argues that Congress has been trying to restrict speech on the Internet far more than it can restrict speech in books and magazines. But, he said, "the rules should be the same." http://www.kmph.com/Global/story.asp...&nav=menu612_2