Use A Firewall, Go To Jail... AND Send Bill Gates To Jail

from the perfect dept

This story is getting covered just about everywhere, but Ed Felten has pointed out that some new proposed legislation in some states would effectively mean that if you use a firewall, you are breaking the law. Clearly, this is terribly written legislation (in multiple states at the same time... hmmm...), giving yet another example of why politicians probably shouldn't get mixed up with technology issues. This story is being discussed in plenty of other places, so I won't add much to the commentary, but I thought the Register made an additional point that takes it a step further. The bills point out that you don't only get in trouble for using a firewall, but for also creating any software that can be used to conceal your identity. So, in their estimation, this also means that if these laws pass, Bill Gates can also go to jail for making firewall technology. As, they say at the Register... "Ah, decisions, decisions..."
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