New York statute will ban internet posting of anonymous comments

Coach is Right ^ | 5/29/2012 | Doug Book

[Oldpuppymax]

Two New York legislators have taken a page from the playbook of aspiring internet regulator Joe Lieberman by sponsoring a bill which would make the posting of anonymous comments illegal. The bill written by Republican State Senators Dean Murray and Thomas O’Mara states:

“A web site administrator upon request shall remove any comments posted on his or her web site by an anonymous poster unless such anonymous poster agrees to attach his…name to the post and confirms that his…IP address, legal name and home address are accurate. All web site administrators shall have a contact number or e-mail address for such removal requests clearly visible in any sections where comments are posted.” (1)

The stated purpose of the Act is“…to amend the civil rights law, in relation to protecting a person’s right to know who is...

[gundog]

Weiner blowback?

[Yaelle]

So free republic would be illegal in New York?

Signed
Daisy Q. Duck

[ConservativeTeen]

“Republican State Senators Dean Murray and Thomas O’Mara”

Terrible. These “Republicans” need to be tarred and feathered right out of office.

[Yaelle]

Weiner blowback?

---

Ew.

[OldNavyVet]

“Big Brother” wants to know who I am.

[apillar]

...unless such anonymous poster agrees to attach his…name to the post and confirms that his…IP address, legal name and home address are accurate.

So is there any penalty for lying?! Yeah that's correct. My name REALLY is Nunya Bisness and my address is #1 Penthouse, Trump Towers, New York, NY and my IP really is from my internet provider out of Vanuatu, I never bothered to change it when I moved...

[tbw2]

How would they apply this rule to websites hosted overseas? Or in other states?

[loucon]

Hope that includes anonymous sources in news articles as well.

[gunsequalfreedom]

During the American Revolution, did the newspapers that were circulated use the real name of the writers?

How many pen names did Benjamin Franklin have?

Did you know that, as a 16-year-old, Ben Franklin wrote letters to the The New-England Courant posing as a middle-aged widow named Silence Dogood?

[ConservativeTeen]

If this statute existed in the 18th century Benjamin Franklin would be in trouble since he frequently wrote under pseudonyms; as did Madison, Hamilton, and Jay when they wrote the Federalist Papers under the name “Publius.”

[DesertRhino]

Such as articles authored by ‘Publius’ ?

[Troublemaker]

Hope that includes anonymous sources in news articles as well.

excellent point

[BwanaNdege]

"New York statute will ban internet posting of anonymous comments"

New York statute will WOULD [If passed] ban internet posting of anonymous comments

Come on, "Coach", let's not let our command of our language slip to that of DU or MTV.

[Vigilanteman]

You just don't appreciate what a good think it would have been if Ben Franklin hadn't have been able to hide under the pseudonym of Silence Dogood. < / sarcasm >

[moose07]

All web site administrators shall have a contact number or e-mail address for such removal requests

FR does not have this problem:

"Comment removed by moderator."

Fixed.

[muir_redwoods]

I am sure that, in the spirit of consistency, they will amend this bill to include a prohibition on voice votes(i.e.anonymous votes) in the legislature

Sure

[Army Air Corps]

FYI

[gunsequalfreedom]

if this law had been in effect 230 years ago, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay “…would have been forced to disclose their real names…” on the Federalist Papers, perhaps preventing the works of “Publius” being written.

[OrangeHoof]

Northeast Republicans... Misunderstanding the Constitution since 1946...