Chill Factor (4 Feb 1996): 0%
Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Russell Feingold (D-WI) have introduced S.1567, a bill to repeal the Communications Decency Act. Leahy made a very nice speech introducing the bill. Write your congresscritter now and express your support of this bill!
DOUBLE FLASH: (February 1996)
In response to a well-argued petition by the ACLU and other plaintiffs, a federal judge blocked enforcement of one relatively minor provision of the CDA, as of Thursday 15 February. The subsection blocked is 507(a)(1)(B), which makes it illegal to send an indecent message to anyone under 18. Unfortunately, the judge (for the moment anyway) let stand section 507(d), which outlaws "making available" to minors "communication that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards, sexual or excretory activities or organs". Thus, youngsters can still email their sweethearts naughty nothings, but the indecency on this page is still as banned as ever. [NEW]