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House Passes Bill Restricting Social-Networking Sites in LibrariesSchools and libraries that rely on e-rate funding would be required to prohibit minors from using chat rooms and social-networking sites like MySpace under legislation passed July 26 by the House of Representatives.By a 410–15 vote, legislators passed the Deleting Online Predators Act (DOPA) H.R. 5319, despite skepticism from some Democrats that the measure was ineffective, the Internet News Bureau reported July 26. The intent of the bill is to protect children from sexual predators who use the sites to contact and solicit minors. One of DOPA’s original sponsors, Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), said in the July 27 Cnet online news service that such websites as MySpace and Friendster “have become a haven for online sexual predators who have made these corners of the Web their own virtual hunting ground.” “I don’t believe it will adequately address these issues,” said Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). “It is overly broad, ambiguous, and the e-rate program was not designed to be the cop on the block.” Rep John Dingell (D-Mich.) said during the House debate, “So now we are on the floor with a piece of legislation poorly thought out, with an abundance of surprises, which carries with it that curious smell of partisanship and panic, but which is not going to address the problems.” Nonetheless, both Markey and Dingell voted in favor of the bill. Cnet noted that the bill’s definition of off-limits websites is so broad that it could apply to many commercial services that allow communication among users. The bill requires the Federal Trade Commission to set up a website that includes information on “social networking websites and chat rooms through which personal information about child users of such websites may be accessed by child predators.” After the House vote, American Library Association President Leslie Burger issued a statement pointing out that libraries are already required to block content that is “harmful to minors” under the Children’s Internet Protection Act. “This unnecessary and overly broad legislation,” she added, “will hinder students’ ability to engage in distance learning and block library computer users from accessing a wide array of essential internet applications including instant messaging, e-mail, wikis, and blogs.” The measure could go to the Senate for approval in early August. Posted July 28, 2006. |
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