Blogs Face Possible FEC Regulation - (financial & political disclosures may be required)

FOX NEWS.COM ^ | JUNE 3, 2005 | Kelley Beaucar Vlahos

[CHARLITE]

WASHINGTON — The Federal Election Commission is considering whether to require political bloggers to disclose whether they are receiving funds from a political campaign, the latest step in a larger debate over whether political activity on the Internet should be regulated by the government.

Friday is the deadline set for the FEC to receive public comments on a number of proposed regulations dealing with Internet activities. The commission will hold hearings on June 28-29 in Washington, D.C., before deciding on final action.

One of those new rules, the disclosure requirement, has many bloggers bristling, accusing the government of unfairly targeting them and impinging on free speech. But other political activists say that blogs can act as secret cover for political smear campaigns and create a Potemkin village of grassroots support. They say if that's the impact, then the Web logs should be required to disclose whether their operators are on a campaign payroll.

[CHARLITE]

"The entire landscape has changed, the assumption is no longer 'hands off the Internet,' it's now 'hand-on the Internet.'"

[Random Nonsense]

OK.. I'll move my blog to .. let's say, Cocos Islands or Christmas Island, or Norfolk Island.

[konaice]

Ah, Sorry, but the Supreme Court won't wear this rag.

They have been very protective of freedom of speach on the net, (some would say to a fault), and any attempt to regulate someone in thier pajamas posting their opinion is not going to fly.

[plangent]

FEC-less, huh?

Let them try the same with the MSM, the editorial writers,
the talking heads, all across the communications spectrum.

Howabout a requirement that all on air personalities disclose. All Managing editors. All corporate exec in the
media biz.

This smells of high doo-doo on the shoes of the FEC.

[plangent]

ANd to add one other thought.

Just think how this proposal would have affected
One of the Founding Bloggers, Thomas Paine, with
his pamphleteering. I'll bet old Thom thought up
his best lines in pajamas.

[sierrahome]

"OK.. I'll move my blog to .. let's say, Cocos Islands or Christmas Island, or Norfolk Island."

Or Gilligan's Island...I got dibs on "Mary-Ann"!

[CHARLITE]

"One of the Founding Bloggers, Thomas Paine, with his pamphleteering. I'll bet old Thom thought up his best lines in pajamas."

Very good lines, plangent!

Thanks. I love the humor!

Char :)

[GOPJ]

bump