It sure is a joy questioning a crackdown on child porn. In December. Heading into primary season.
But this bill called the SAFE Act could make it very cumbersome and expensive just to provide free wi-fi, because cafe customers or library patrons might view child porn. Or images of fully clothed children in "lascivious" poses. Or drawings, cartoons, or paintings of obscene images. Many may decide the cost of free wi-fi isn't worth the payoff.
The SAFE Act was just overwhelmingly approved in the House with no hearings or committee votes, and is very popular in the Senate, CNET is reporting - House vote on illegal images sweeps in Wi-Fi, Web sites:
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a bill saying that anyone offering an open Wi-Fi connection to the public must report illegal images including "obscene" cartoons and drawings--or face fines of up to $300,000.
That broad definition would cover individuals, coffee shops, libraries, hotels, and even some government agencies that provide Wi-Fi.
What the bill requires cafe owners to report to the government is listed on the flip.
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