The schizophrenic White House and the Internet

[Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 6 Feb 1998 13:01:05 -0800 (PST)
From: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>
To: politech@vorlon.mit.edu
Subject: The schizophrenic White House and the Internet

Carl makes a good point. When it comes to the Internet, the Clinton-Gore
administration is schizophrenic. Ira Magaziner and other White House
officials say their attitude towards the Internet is "hands off" and
"deregulatory" -- a line that certainly makes for good copy from
journalists who don't know any better and don't take the time to learn
more.

But in truth White House policy is far from hands off. Here are a few
areas where the Clinton-Gore administration is calling for greater
regulation, subsidies, taxes, and government control of the Internet and
related technology: 

-- Criminal copyright (share software, go to jail)
-- Encryption regulations (export ctrls and proposed domestic rules)
-- CALEA / Digital Telephony wiretapping funding
-- Gore Commission talking about extending FCC rules to Net
-- Universal service (taxes and spending for Net access)
-- Rating systems (Clinton: "every Internet site" should self-label)
-- Net-taxation (has Clinton enorsed Cox-Wyden?)
-- Rapacious government databases (DoD recently demanded more access)
-- Subsidies for government-approved technologies
-- FTC considering banning spam (what about technical solutions?)
-- FTC actions on "children's privacy"
-- Clinton calling for V-Chip for Internet

These are hardly the actions of a deregulatory administration.

-Declan


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 06 Feb 1998 15:33:44 -0500
From: Carl Ellison <cme@cybercash.com>
To: declan@well.com
Subject: Re: FC: Magaziner says "No regulation!" at Cato-Brookings event

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Of course, this means gov't hands off crypto policy, too, right?

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