The recent TLF podcast touched on the way that states and state AGs are actively trying to regulate social networking and e-commerce sites. My colleague Steve DelBianco recently testified on this issue before the New Jersey General Assembly, and his testimony is a good read. He writes about three rules for state legislators to keep in mind when attempting to regulate e-commerce:
As a firm believer in the benefits of the Internet, I often feel like that little boy who was asked why he was digging through a huge pile of horse manure and responded with a smile, “Well there must be a pony in here somewhere.”
Lawmakers need to understand that e-commerce, instant communication, and global information sharing are worth digging for. To help them do that I offer a simple three-part formula: consumer education, industry responsibility, and law enforcement.
Rule number one – regulate behavior, not technology.
Rule number two – don’t smother the Internet under a patchwork quilt of conflicting state laws.
Rule number three — watch out for special interest legislation.
Read more here.
The Technology Liberation Front is the tech policy blog dedicated to keeping politicians' hands off the 'net and everything else related to technology.
Comments on this entry are closed.