Electronic commerce trade group NetChoice launched a new project Tuesday intended to "track dangerous legislation and mobilize citizens in defense of core Internet principles." The Internet Advocates' Watchlist For Ugly Laws (iAWFUL) identifies the top 10 legislative and regulatory proposals that its creators believe are "truly bad bills that threaten the future of e-commerce and online communication." The roster will be regularly updated to reflect the most immediate dangers, based on severity and likelihood of passage. "Some of the most serious threats to the Internet arise when lawmakers try to 'fix' it," NetChoice Executive Director Steve DelBianco said in a press release. "Knee-jerk, overly prescriptive laws can destroy whole business models or stifle innovations in e-commerce and communication before they even have a chance to prove themselves."
Topping the inaugural iAWFUL list is a New Jersey social networking bill, which the group argues would force a large number of Web sites to become law enforcement investigators. The measure would impose civil and Consumer Fraud Act penalties on social networking sites for failure to promptly probe and report to law enforcement a user's complaint of sexually offensive and harassing communications. Other bills making the iAWFUL top 10 include proposals from California, Connecticut, North Carolina, Nevada, Texas, New York and federal bills aimed at curbing organized retail crime. Some measures would penalize environmentally friendly digital download purchases, hobble the use of online marketplaces, and harm local businesses, iAWFUL stated.
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