Ray Van Eng (12/18/96)
The new restrictions could mean that former inmates of our prison system would have to obtain special permissions to get an Internet account, surf the web or be subject to spot searches of their computer systems and may even be required to file reports of their cyberspace travel logs. They may also be disallowed to own encryption programs for private communication with others over the Interent. You can sure expect the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to cry foul. A spokeswoman for the organization says that "All of those materials, specifically about bomb-making, are available in public libraries... It's another example of how all the sensationalist stories about the Internet being a dangerous place have gotten into the minds of otherwise logical people." In another interesting case, the ACLU is investigating to see if there is any wrongdoing in violating the First Amendment Rights by the South Dakota state government in an effort to block e-mails sent from someone who is spamming government employees over a controversial issue about sacred Native American sites. |