The New Freedom

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HR4137, a bill requiring colleges to implement network filtering passed the house. Learn more about it here on OpenCongress. Ars Technica has done the best write-up covering the story, so you should read about it here:Controversial college funding bill passed—P2P proviso intact.

I was interviewed for our college paper about this before it passed. That article is here: New technology bill could force BU admin. to monitor transfers.

As I say in the article, it’s a waste of funds, a violation of privacy and clearly only in place to protect the broken business model of the IP gangs. It is also the start of a very slippery slope into massive violations of privacy.

Mandatory network filtering of certain media files could very easily become mandatory network filtering for the witch hunters looking for potential “domestic terrorists”. My school already does this against targeted individuals accused of drug charges, but it wouldn’t be hard to use against everybody.

Of course, the very simple solution is encryption, so I’m not too worried about this right now, but I still certainly disapprove of this provision being included.

OpenCongress makes sweet little widgets, too, like the one below. Love that site!

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