Utah Internet Porn Law May Face Challenge

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SALT LAKE CITY - Internet service providers that operate in Utah must offer customers a way to block porn sites under a law signed this week. ISPs complained that the law adds nothing to the fight against pornography, and said a legal challenge is likely.

"The market has already responded to this issue," said Pete Ashdown, president of Salt Lake-based XMission. "We have for many years provided an optional filter for our customers that they can turn on in Internet browsers."

The law requires ISPs to offer customers free software for blocking porn sites on a list maintained by the attorney general.

Republican state Rep. John Dougall said the measure he sponsored should help parents overwhelmed by advancing technology.

"Kids are much more savvy about what's going on than their parents," Dougall said.

An earlier version of the bill would have required ISPs to block sites based on numeric Internet addresses, but ISPs argued that approach would block benign sites as well because they often share addresses. A federal court has struck down a 2003 Pennsylvania law that took that approach.

Though the Utah law is watered down, it still "will very likely lead to a costly litigation," said the Washington D.C.-based Center for Democracy and Technology.

"We've been down this road in Pennsylvania," said Dave Baker, vice president for law and public policy at EarthLink Inc. "And if that law can be struck down on constitutional grounds, this one will almost certainly face challenges."

The Utah law also requires companies that build and maintain pornographic sites to label the content "harmful to minors." Failure to comply is punishable by one year in prison and a $2,500 fine.

Bangladesh to enact tough law to check cyber crimes
FE Report , 3/26/2005

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A stricter law is underway to check all types of cyber crimes, including threatening and cheating people through e-mail and Internet in the country. The draft law was approved by the cabinet recently.
The law, aiming at erasing 'the digital divide' with the developed world, will give a strong protection to users of the information and communication technology in all areas in the society including trade and business. One of the main features of the new law would be to give a legal approval to the electronic signature.

Although the cabinet has given its nod to the draft of the law, the detailed rules would be framed later keeping a similarity with the provisions introduced in some neighbouring and developing countries like India, Pakistan and Thailand.

A bill will be placed in the Parliament. After passage of the bill in the parliament, the ICT ministry will frame different provisions and rules in compliance with the approved law through consultation with the law ministry.

ICT Ministry officials said the law would provide a legal basis to the use of ICT in all kinds of businesses including trade, commerce, industry, group and personal contracts and deals.
At present, the use of ICT in different sectors is almost optional and there is no legal approval of its use in any deal or contract that could be accepted to court. With the approval of the law, all deals or contracts would be acceptable to any court or regulating authority.

This law would ensure a security to the e-mail, Internet communication and financial transaction and at the same time it provide some responsibility to ICT users.

The prime benefit of the new law is expected to go to the business community, as they would make their business deals through the Internet under the terms of e-commerce. After enacting new law, an L/C could be addressed with few minutes, which now requires a month.

The law would give a protection to the ICT users against the cyber crimes like hacking, identity impersonation and sending unwanted sperm in the internet connection and website.

After the law is passed, the persons, who exploit the Internet to cheat or threaten people, could be easily identified andpunished.

The new law would breach the barrier of 'digital divide' that the developed countries repeatedly exploit the less developed countries, which is yet to provide any legal basis to the use of ICT in the business.