[8971] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
sleaze
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (bukys@cs.rochester.edu)
Tue Dec 14 09:00:11 1993
To: com-priv@psi.com, bukys@cs.rochester.edu
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Mon, 13 Dec 93 19:57:57 EST."
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 93 08:59:23 -0500
From: bukys@cs.rochester.edu
Re:
A huge problem is that access providers do not control what's out
there or reachable.
The same is true of our phone company, which has the advantage of being a
common carrier. Even so, there are still controls in place:
* Phone companies put for-pay sleaze services behind special phone
numbers. It is possible to disable access to those phone numbers
as a group. Even if not disabled, it is itemized on the phone bill
so it can't be done in secret.
* There are criminal penalties for saying certain things to certain
people over the phone.
Perhaps the days of "set up a mail reflector or newsgroup and take no
responsibility for content" will come to a close. Sleaze purveyors may
still be free to use the net to distribute their wares, however, the
threat of criminal prosecution if they make no effort to qualify their
subscribers may crimp their style a bit.
This is a little harder over international borders, but diplomats don't like
international incidents, so perhaps some international agreement over
"acceptable use" will evolve. Privacy-enhanced mail has some effect, but
if the basic principle is that people take responsibility for what they
send, the method of transmission is secondary. Enforcement is still possible.
