Consider for a moment: how much of your medical information do you store on your computer? If we exempt your browser’s cache (from that last time you tried self-diagnosis), I’ll bet it’s close to zero. I know there’s nothing on mine.

So what the hell is Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) talking about? In a hearing, the Honorable Mr. Smith said that “in tapping into [P2P networks], [users] expose their own private materials–health information–into the public domain.”

Whaa? It seems Gordie also has a porn fixation:

Smith suggested that “grossly pornographic” files on P2P networks are a “deceptive trade practice which seems to be under the FTC’s jurisdiction.” Under the Federal Trade Commission Act, the agency has power to punish “unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce.”

Smith asked the FTC what actions it was taking to protect “young people from what is clearly deception when it comes under the heading Harry Potter and is clearly pornography.” — News.com

I’m not sure how free P2P networks classify as trade, but that’s okay because the problem solves itself: keep your kids off the computer.

After all, you don’t want them finding your medical records.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 13th, 2003 at 11:57 pm and is filed under Law & Politics.. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.