Erris's Journal: "Social Networking" sites could face $300,000 fines

Senator John McCain has proposed a bill to extend federal obscenity reporting guidelines to all forms of internet communications. Those who fail to report according to guidelines could face fines of up to $300,000 for their member's posts. Any website, including Slashdot, would be covered.

these types of individuals or businesses would be required to file reports: any Web site with a message board; any chat room; any social-networking site; any e-mail service; any instant-messaging service; any Internet content hosting service; any domain name registration service; any Internet search service; any electronic communication service; and any image or video-sharing service.

The EFF was quick to slam the proposal.

"This constitutionally dubious proposal is being made apparently mostly based on fear or political considerations rather than on the facts," said Kevin Bankston, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation in San Francisco.

Larger ISPs are pleased. I know that I would be unable to parse and remove any posts by "known" sex offenders and anything currently considered "obscene" the public might post on any site or messaging service I might run myself. Is there no such thing as personal common carrier?