http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,45138,00.html Mulling Reins on Net Campaigns By Declan McCullagh (declanat_private) 2:00 a.m. July 11, 2001 PDT WASHINGTON -- The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Thursday on a campaign finance bill that would, for the first time, regulate Internet advertisements and e-mails targeted at voters. The new rules aimed at online political activity are part of a Republican effort to overhaul U.S. election law that has received little scrutiny -- which, if enacted, would roil the fast-growing online campaign industry and impose obstacles on candidates' use of the Internet. Jonah Seiger, co-founder of Mindshare, a 16-person Internet consulting firm in Washington, said he understands why the legislation was written to cover "any communications" directed at voters, and not just traditional methods. "But I hope Congress would understand what they're doing," Seiger said. "The unintended consequences of sloppy legislation could make it more difficult to use the Internet and make it less effective as a political communications medium." On Thursday, the House will consider a campaign finance plan patterned after a bill backed by Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) that the Senate has already approved. That proposal, H.R.2356, covers only political communications sent by broadcast, satellite, cable or the U.S. mail, and does not apply to the Internet. But the version that House Republicans will offer as an alternative is far broader in one important way: It regulates "any" paid communication -- including Internet communication -- that mentions a candidate for federal office. Anyone who makes such a communication, not just political parties or candidates, would be required to keep careful records and count online spending toward a $50,000 limit that would trigger a filing with the federal government. The bill's drafters say they intended to regulate the burgeoning world of Internet politics but predicted the legislation's impact would be limited. Roman Buhler, counsel to the House Administration Committee, said "when we thought about the Internet we doubted that the cost of Internet messages, such as bulk e-mails, would rise to that level.... It was our sense that bulk e-mails would not approach the $50,000 threshold." (The bill does count e-mail spending toward the $50,000 trigger point.) "A banner ad would be a form of mass communication, and they would have to disclose," Buhler said. Ken Nealy, a press secretary for bill sponsor Rep. Albert Wynn (D-Maryland), refused to speak on the record. When asked in person what effects the bill would have on the Internet, Nealy declared that the conversation was over and left the room. [...] ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. To subscribe, visit http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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