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Government censorship--What you can do

What Can I Do to Help?

Both the Senate and the House have passed bills restricting freedom of expression on electronic networks. At this point, we have to focus attention on the committees that each branch appoints to meet and create a unified bill. Movement on the bill is gaining speed, and a final vote (by the committee and both Houses) is expected within one or two months -- pending outcome on the budget talks.

Key legislators

Business Input

If you work for a company that makes heavy use of the Internet--a service provider, a software firm, a publisher--you can have an especially strong impact by persuading the head of the firm to write to Congress.

ACLU Legal Challenge

A consortium of public-interest groups, including the ACLU, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, the Media Access Project, and People for the American Way, are preparing to file a lawsuit challenging the online censorship provisions if the telecom bill becomes law. They are looking for plaintiffs that post material that could be deemed "indecent" under the law, but that has serious artistic, literary, and educational value to our society.

For example, they need plaintiffs who use online networks to discuss or distribute works of art, literary classics, sex education, gay and lesbian literature, human rights reporting, abortion information, rape counseling, and controversial political speech. If your work fits within one of these categories, and you would like more information about becoming a plaintiff in the lawsuit, contact Ann Beeson at the ACLU as shown below.