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To: stimpyone
This also strikes me as probably outlawing programs that deal with spyware.

As for spammers, I doubt if it would accomplish anything. It really WOULD be true that when firewalls are outlawed, only criminals would have firewalls.
19 posted on 03/28/2003 10:08:10 AM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: Cicero
Some spam, although not much, still originates in the US. Forged headers and spoofed IPs increases the difficulty of tracking it down. I don't think any LAWS currently address this. True, it wouldn't do anything against foreign spam.

Most people who install firewalls and NAT routers do so without the intention of commiting fraud. Those who do allow their friends and neighbors to freeload would run afoul of their provider's TOS, but these bills would also make that a criminal offense.

DDoS networks, which are usually intended to hide the controller's address, would also be outlawed. And that's a good thing.

Anti-spyware and personal firewalls do not attempt to conceal or circumvent anything; they're intended to block communications which could be harmful to the user's equipment. Even a NAT router, which might "hide" the fact that you're using five computers on your broadband connection, is not concealing "the existence or place of origin or destination of any communication", as your public IP address is still on every packet you transmit. There is a method for counting the number of computers behind a NAT router, if an ISP really wants to be that petty.

But, IMHO, this would not make firewalls illegal. Everybody uses them, and I wouldn't think these states would really want to shut down the Internet by being so stupid.

21 posted on 03/28/2003 12:15:20 PM PST by TechJunkYard (via Nancy)
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