As soon as we challenged the Communications Decency Act in Federal court, another threat to the Net has arisen. This one is a petition a group of long-distance companies has filed with the FCC, urging the commission to extend its jurisdiction to the Internet and regulate "the use of the Internet for providing telecommunications services." The America's Carrier's Telecommunications Association (ACTA) is whining about voice-over-the-Net, and equating the Internet to telephone and cable TV services. Some excerpts from the petition, filed by ACTA on March 4: ACTA submits that the providers of this software are telecommunications carriers and, as such, should be subject to FCC regulation like all telecommunications cations carriers. ACTA also submits that the FCC has the authority to regulate the Internet. [...] ACTA asks the Commission to institute rulemaking to govern the use of the Internet for providing telecommunications services. [...] ACTA submits that it is incumbent upon the Commission to exercise jurisdiction over the use of the Internet for unregulated interstate and international telecommunications services. As a first step, ACTA submits that the Commission may deem it appropriate to issue a declaratory ruling officially establishing its interest in and authority over interstate and international telecommunications services using the Internet. [...] Ignored, such unregulated operations will rapidly grow and create a far more significant and difficult to control "private" operational enclave of telecommunications providers and users. [...] The Commission should take the same action in 1996 with regard to the new technology of long distance calling via Internet as it did thirty years ago in 1966 with regard to the then-new technology of cable television: grant special relief to maintain the status quo so that it might carefully consider what rules are required to best protect the public interest and to carry out Its statutory duties. [...] Absent action by the Commission, the new technology could be used to circumvent restrictions traditionally found in tariffs concerning unlawful uses, such as gambling, obscenity, prostitution, drug traffic, and other illegal acts. (Note how ACTA not-too-subtly raises the spectre of the four horsemen!) The deadline to file comments with the FCC in response to the ACTA petition has been extended to May 8, 1996, the FCC announced yesterday in its Daily Digest. A relevant back fight-censorship message about the original petition is at: http://fight-censorship.dementia.org/fight-censorship/dl?num=1876 For more information, check out: http://www.cais.net/cannon/acta.htm -Declan ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 20:46:24 -0500 From: Robert Cannon <cannon@cais.cais.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <cyberia-l@warthog.cc.wm.edu> Subject: ACTA Resource Page In conjunction with Henry Crawford, Craig Johnson, Andy Oram and other members of Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR), I have uploaded an "ACTA Petition Resource Page." It can be found at http://www.cais.net/cannon/acta.htm On that page I have posted the lively and informative discussion of ACTA from Cyberia-L (I was careful to search for anyone who did not give permission to have their message reposted - a comment usually found in people's signature - if you object to having your message posted, please let me know). There is also a draft of a comment by CPSR, an article from the American Reporter, the relevant Supreme Court case, and, of course, the petition itself. ************************************************************ Robert Cannon, Esq. | || Leashes! Online and Interactive | \ @@==+ We Dont Need No Telecommunications Law | ====== Stinkin' Leashes! Washington, D.C. | || || -Pancho Villa http://www.cais.net/cannon ************************************************************