Dumb Internet Laws... Again

I really think that our NJ Assemblyman Peter J. Biondi got flamed on some messageboard recently. I'm saying this because he apparently introduced a bill that would institute mandatory online identification.

Yup, this guy wants to abolish online anonymity. It is very obvious that he does not understand the internet. If I had a penny for every jackass who wants to legislate the internet, I would probably be invited to join the Skull and Bones club by now :P

I wonder if Mr. Biondi knows that Internet != USA NJ. I wonder how he plans to enforce this bill on message boards hosted outside the US state? Does he realize that this bill will close down free blogging services, severely impact online social networks and force hundreds of American most NJ interner companies out of business to move out of state.

How would you enforce this for email? For java or AJAX based chat clients? For IRC? If google implements an identity check for Blogger, it will likely loose 80% of it's user base. There is no way anyone in their right mind would even consider complying with this. The only people who will benefit from this are... Canadians. Because if such a bill would pass, there would be a mass exodus away from US based hosting to Canadian based :P

If this bill passes, then we are not better than China...The only thing this bill can achieve is to create a gigantic traffic jam on interstate highways, as people move the servers to more internet friendly states.

We please send some letters to this dude and tell him that he just ruined his political career? I would never vote for someone who actively tries to break the internet.

Update Tue Mar 7 09:49:43 EST 2006

Um... I updated the post slighly, because zewrestler mentioned this bill will only apply to NJ - not the whole country. I appologize for spazzing out. :P

Tags: internet, privacy, anonymity, freedom, politics, biondi, stupid internet laws, legislating internet, biondi sux