Same Old Same Old

Today we were treated to the sixth hearing from the House Energy and Commerce committee about child pornography and the Internet. One might think that the Internet's only function is to foster illegal activities by pornographers and terrorists, based on the agenda of Congress, and that the failed energy policy of the nation is hardly a concern to lawmakers. Congressman Mike Ferguson of New Jersey, the author of this Internet Safety Guide, also brought up illegal music and piracy in his opening remarks, as areas of related concern that he was eager for the committee to address (thus implying -- yet again -- that pro-corporate Intellectual Property regulation is analogous to policing clearly reprehensible behavior like child endangerment).

Justifiably illegal exploitative pornography continues to be a hot topic in both houses. On the 19th, the Senate held a hearing on Online Child Pornography with many of the same witnesses who have been testifying in the House. Of course, the Chair of that committee, the much lampooned Senator Ted Stevens, is still claiming that, according to polls, Americans don't want "onerous" network neutrality, so Stevens may have incentive to keep the population distracted, especially when Senator Kennedy is posting oppositional YouTube videos.

What is important about today's testimony on Deleting Commercial Child Pornography Sites on the Hill is that it also focused on financial data and credit card transactions, which could also be surveiled among the law-abiding population. Specifically, lawmakers were eager to regulate "digital currency" on the grounds of this "daily threat to our children." Otherwise the testimony was relatively predictable. The planned appearance of a shadowy "John Doe" in Federal prison for processing kiddie porn finances, which would have added more drama to the proceedings, didn't actually take place.

Although he supported the position of law enforcement, I was impressed by the still courageous stand taken by Congressman Bart Stupak of Michigan against "empty political gestures" and legislation limiting access by schools and libraries that is being "rushed" through the house. In an atmosphere of "government by acclamation" few are willing to defend digital rights or to look back at legislation -- like DOPA -- that harms the information literacy of young people while claiming to be protecting them.

Amazingly, there are two more hearings on the subject before the Energy and Commerce Committee scheduled for next week, one on the "Face of a Child Predator" and a follow-up on the Masha Allen case, which will bring the tally to a counterintuitive total of eight. The committee will also be busy with more "child-safe" media regulation, since there is a hearing on "Editing Hollywood’s Editors: Cleaning Flicks for Families" planned. Somehow, I suspect that film-maker Kirby Dick won't be invited to attend.