---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 17 Jul 1997 17:19:58 -0400 From: Jonah Seiger <jseiger@cdt.org> To: Seth Finkelstein <sethf@mit.edu>, fight-censorship@vorlon.mit.edu Cc: jberman@cdt.org Subject: Re: HISTORY - pre-CDA, "compromise", untrue civil-liberties groups At 4:44 PM -0400 7/17/97, Seth Finkelstein wrote:

I finally went back digging through my archives, to confirm my memory that we had gone through almost exactly this sort of argument in the run-up to the CDA. All the elements were there - the "compromise" in terms of attempts to use labeling, the defensiveness from EFF, CDT, compared to opposition from the ACLU, and so on. Not a whole lot has changed. Mike Godwin was just as snide and snotty then as he is now :-).

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Ah, the old 'drag out CDT's funding list' trick. For the record, CDT is supported by companies and foundations who share our agenda and goals, and believe that we are effective advocates of our views. Search all you want for a consipracy -- you aren't going to find one. While CDT makes no apology for our position (along with EFF and others) to reluctantly support White's proposal 2.5 years ago given the context of the debate (read our statement at http://www.cdt.org/publications/pp311204.html) - the fact is that the Supreme Court decision settled this debate, and the White compromise was never passed by Congress. As for your claim that what happened yesterday at the white house is similar to the "compromise" of December 1995, you are way off base. White 1995 White House 1997 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Content Regulations imposed No content regulations, no law by Congress on all Internet or regulation of Net, no requiement Publishers. to label or rate content. Criminal Penalties for No criminal penalties for anything display of Harmful To besides trafficing in child Minors Material w/o good pornography, obscenity or faith effort to block stalking kids online (illegal before kids access CDA) The bottom line is that these are two remarkably different approaches. Even White himself is supportive of the direction the President articulated yesterday. Hope that helps clarify a bit. Jonah * Value Your Privacy? The Government Doesn't. Say 'No' to Key Escrow! * Adopt Your Legislator - http://www.crypto.com/adopt -- Jonah Seiger, Communications Director (v) +1.202.637.9800 Center for Democracy and Technology pager: +1.202.859.2151 <jseiger@cdt.org> http://www.cdt.org PGP Key via finger http://www.cdt.org/homes/jseiger/