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NEWS >POLITICS > DIANNE FEINSTEIN HIDING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN STIMULUS BILL
DIANNE FEINSTEIN HIDING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN STIMULUS BILL
February 12 2009
Washington, DC – California Senator Dianne Feinstein is hoping to secure a portion of the most recent stimulus package to invest in tools for internet service providers that would allow for “reasonable network management.” The term, a euphemism widely derided after first being used by a Comcast executive, essentially means enabling ISP’s to throttle internet traffic and conduct “deep packet inspections” which allow providers to monitor user’s web traffic. Feinstein hopes the help the providers prevent unlawful activity on the web including copyright infringement and distribution of child pornography, and as some think is looking to satisfy her lobbyists.
“It’s hard to make an argument in favour of child pornography, but ISP’s aren’t looking to stop the trade in illegal materials. They are looking for a way to increase their profits. They use issues like the Senator is expositing to make their argument and there’s no doubt that such activities would be impinged, but so would legitimate traffic. Companies like Comcast aren’t out to make the world a better place, they are out to make a buck,” said Scrape TV Technology analyst Ken Kevins. “Deep packet inspection is one of the most debated issues on the web. Basically it allows providers to watch what you are doing on the web. From downloading movies, to updating your status on Facebook deep packet inspection essentially is a form of spying. ISP’s use something horrible like child pornography as their argument, but it is no way their motive.”
It is not clear if Feinstein, who will turn 76 years old this year, knows much about the web or that President Barack Obama has declared net neutrality a priority in his administration.
“The one thing Feinstein does have is a lot of movie studios in her constituency and most of them are under the belief that they can stem the flow of illegal downloads of their films by limiting web traffic. Feinstein has served her country for a great number of years but she does seem a little out of her league in this realm,” continued Kevins. “Throttling web traffic to save movie studios a few bucks or possibly limiting the trade in child pornography is to say the least naive. Undernet, IRC, proxies, there are all kinds of ways for people of like minds to collaborate. It is a situation where you are throwing the baby out with the bathwater.”
Of course the fact that this is being piggybacked onto a bill meant to help stabilize the economy and create jobs hasn’t gone unnoticed. Having failed at having her initiative put into the initial draft of the bill, Feinstein is reportedly working behind the scenes to ensure it becomes a part of the package.
“I really cannot fathom how this belongs in a bill designed to help create jobs. Sure it could potentially make some studio heads and ISP officials wealthy but that likely is not going to trickle down to the workers. ISPs were trying to do this long before the economy crashed,” said Scrape TV Business analyst Ken Green. “While the web hasn’t proven itself a viable economic
engine yet, it needs room to grow and expand for that to ever happen. Keep in mind that the web only hit the mainstream 13 years ago. Other industries have taken a lot longer than that to mature. Restricting access is not going to help things move forward.”
Of course piggybacking legalisation is nothing new for a practised Washington insider like Feinstein who has been the senior senator from California since 1992. She is also reportedly considering a run for Governor in 2010.
“You can use scary words like ‘Copyright Infringement’ or ‘Child Pornography’ to try and get your lobbyists bill passed but you really aren’t doing good for anyone but them, and yourself I suppose. In a bill such as this the focus should be on bettering the economy not bettering your political position,” continued Green. “Plus limiting this content before it is fully matured could be detrimental in the long term. One day someone will figure out how to monetize copyright violations and child porn effectively and that will create all kinds of new avenues for workers. The net needs to be free for those kinds of opportunities to come to life.”
Edward Bastil, Political Correspondent
NEWS >POLITICS > DIANNE FEINSTEIN HIDING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN STIMULUS BILL
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