New York statute will ban internet posting of anonymous comments

Coach is Right ^ | 5/29/2012 | Doug Book

[Oldpuppymax]

Two New York legislators have taken a page from the playbook of aspiring internet regulator Joe Lieberman by sponsoring a bill which would make the posting of anonymous comments illegal. The bill written by Republican State Senators Dean Murray and Thomas O’Mara states:

“A web site administrator upon request shall remove any comments posted on his or her web site by an anonymous poster unless such anonymous poster agrees to attach his…name to the post and confirms that his…IP address, legal name and home address are accurate. All web site administrators shall have a contact number or e-mail address for such removal requests clearly visible in any sections where comments are posted.” (1)

The stated purpose of the Act is“…to amend the civil rights law, in relation to protecting a person’s right to know who is...

[UCANSEE2]

Ew.

Yah... now I need this.

[justiceseeker93]

Not mentioned in the article is the problem of state jurisdiction. Can a webmaster or a poster be subject to a New York statute if one or both is outside the boundaries of the state? Likewise, can out of state "requesters" avail themselves of the "right" granted them by this state statute?

How can interstate or international communications be subject to state regulation? Something seems amiss here, not that I'd want some law like this passed on the federal level either.

I'd appreciate comments on this from the constitutionalists out there.

[UCANSEE2]

OK. Pin the tail on the donkey time.

Breaking: Domestic Terrorist Kimberlin Has Conservative Blogger Arrested
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2889107/posts

[cradle of freedom]

Maybe it would still be illegal to post anything from the Federalist Papers because they were written under pseudonyms, even if written 230 years ago.

[tiki]

Wait, you didn’t give us your address and I think it is only fair that you give out your phone number too.

[running_dog_lackey]

I don’t know much about the workings of the internet, but couldn’t a website owner block his site from being viewed by an IP address located in New York?

[fremont_steve]

Just to emphasize your point - There was this ruling in “United States District Court for the District of Maryland”

http://thefire.org/article/13957.html

So it’s already been through the federal courts once at least. Why do lawmakers NOT PAY attention to those 10 little first amendments to the Constitution?

[No Truce With Kings]

Yet another reason to limit the state legislature to meeting 120 days once every two years.

Keeps the legislators from hanging around long enough to think up this type of horse puckey, and even if they do, they do not have time to pass silly bills before the session ends.

(Yet one more reason Texas’s economy is better than that of New York’s.)

[fuzzylogic]

It’s funny when somebody shows ignorance without even realizing it...like this. Do they have *any idea* about what they’re trying to propose? No. They don’t understand the technology or the problems that they’ll face in implementing or enforcing it.

Pete Sake
Apt. 666 - Hell Creek Ranch
Hell, MI 48169

[mamelukesabre]

I would say they are expecting other states to do similar laws and at some point offer reciprocation. They know the technology is coming where they will be able to enforce such a law so they are just getting a head start. Pretty soon people are going to be using the internet mostly with smart phones and tablets...with chip IDs and GPS tags and all sorts of ways to track down the user. Photos already have ID markers embedded in them so that you can tell what smart phone took the pic and where and when. They will be doing the same with text too, I suspect.

[NonValueAdded]

Under the Incorporation Doctrine, this is a blatant violation of the First Amendment.

[ExCTCitizen]

Two New York legislators have taken a page from the playbook of aspiring internet regulator Joe Lieberman by sponsoring a bill which would make the posting of anonymous comments illegal. The bill written by Republican State Senators Dean Murray and Thomas O’Mara states:

Mr. Murray and Mr O'Mara please change your party from RINO to MARXIST!! You are a disgrace to people who are RINOs!!

[NYer]

So how would this be monitored?

[xzins]

apparently lawmakers are required to have a brain-ectomy before they can assume their seats. /s

[SecondAmendment]

We should ask “Publius” to see what he thinks about this !

[Semper911]

Hope that includes anonymous sources in news articles as well.

You win.

[GenXteacher]

“Republican State Senators Dean Murray and Thomas O’Mara”

D**n Northeastern Republicans might as well be Democrats....

[af_vet_rr]

(Yet one more reason Texas’s economy is better than that of New York’s.)

New York doesn't have a monopoly on those who want to censor the internet - remember, it's a Texas Republican, Lamar Smith, who was hell-bent on getting SOPA passed.

[No Truce With Kings]

“New York doesn’t have a monopoly on those who want to censor the internet - remember, it’s a Texas Republican Lamar Smith, who was hell-bent on getting SOPA passed.”

That reinforces my point. It is not that Texas state legislators don’t want to pass foolish legislation. It is that the legislature is not in session long enough to give them the luxury of passing non-essential legislation.

Believe me. Texas politicians aren’t any better than politicians elsewhere in the country. We just keep them on a shorter leash.