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EFFector Online Volume 08 No. 22       Dec 12, 1995       editors@eff.org

A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation        ISSN 1062-9424



Two More Days of National Protest! + Update on Progress

ALERT: NYC Anti-Censorship Rally/Press Conference, Thu. 2-3pm EST

ALERT: SF Anti-Censorship Rally, Rain or Shine! Thu. noon-1pm PST

ALERT: Seattle Anti-Censorship Rally, Thu. noon-1pm PST

ALERT: Austin Anti-Censorship Rally, Tue. Dec. 19

NIIAC Opposes Internet Censorship, Supports Filtering Technology

Newsnibbles

Upcoming Events

Quote of the Day

What YOU Can Do

Administrivia


* See http://www.eff.org/Alerts/ or ftp.eff.org, /pub/Alerts/ for more

nformation on current EFF activities and online activism alerts! *

 -> If you are organizing a rally in your area, please let us know.

 -> We'll keep the alerts page updated. - mech@eff.org


----------------------------------------------------------------------



Subject: Two More Days of National Protest! + Update on Progress 

----------------------------------------------------------------



* There was NO vote on this issue today by the Senate side of the joint 

conference committee, it *has not* passed yet.  This gives us at least 

another day of action!



* DON'T STOP NOW!  See http://www.eff.org/pub/Alerts/s652_hr1555.alert

for what steps you can take to protect free speech online. It's easy, and 

t's important!

Since the online activism efforts are still gaining rather than losing 

any steam, consider Dec. 13 and 14 the 2nd and 3rd Days of National 

up, organize more rallys!  Tell your offline friends why this is so

mportant and get them to call and write their Congresspersons.


* The number of people sending notes to the Internet Protest tally 

address, indicating that they have contacted one or more legislators

on the Internet censorship topic, reached at least 14,000 today alone! 

(That was about 6 hours before this writing, so the likely total for 

today is closer to 20,000+.)  This only counts those people who bothered 

to let the tallying address know they had written or called legislators.

The real total is probably between 50,000 to 100,000 or more, and 

considering that many if not most respondents contacted more than one 

legislator, and that many who called also faxed and emailed, this could 

contacting legisators on this issue.   Even if the numbers are lower that 

these very rough guestimates, this is clearly the largest and fastest 

moving online activism effort to date.  KEEP IT UP!  WE CAN WIN THIS!



* Texas Criminal Court Judge Stephen Russell has vowed to team up with 

online newspaper _The_American_Reporter_, Internet access provider 

Newshare, and attorney Randall Boe of Arent, Fox, Kintner, Plotkin & 

Kahn, to publish online an "indecent" article in defiance of the CDA if 

t or similar legislation passes, and defend that publication in court.
(from press release, full text at http://www.newshare.com/News/parent2.html)

EFF, ACLU and the National Writers Union have also committed to fighting 

this legislation in court if necessary.



* Sen. Ted Stevens has apparently changed his fax number since the most 

the old number *did not reach him*, but instead reached the Senate 

Education Subcommittee, who were deluged in faxes.  They seem to have 

+1 202 224 2354.  We have heard from numerous people that conference 

committee Congresspersons fax machines have been kept so busy all day 

that Congressional offices are going through stacks of paper packages 

trying to keep up, and that staffers have been so inundated with calls 

against Internet censorship legislation that they sometimes don't even let 

callers finish, but interupt: "You're calling to oppose Internet 

censorship, right?", and have to take another call.  This is a very good 

to break the Christian Coalition's chokehold on the conference 

committee's reins.  KEEP CALLING!  



* Stardot Consulting, the company that provides the free 

look-up-your-legislators service referred to in the "What YOU Can Do" 

n the battle against the Communications Decency Act, and set up a www ->
telegram gateway for the first 100 people who used the new page 

(http://www.stardot.com/protest). That didn't take very long at all.

After that first 100, responses are being batched and will be delivered 

to legislators en masse, so give it a go after you call and fax.



* Sen. Feinstein's staffer told a caller that the legislative language 

being considered by the conference committee would strictly limit the 

online distribution of information about abortion.  It would also 

and a lot of other material, including classic novels most of us read in 

calls to Congress.



* More and more online publishers, businesses and individuals are putting 

anti-censorship info and alerts on their sites.  Keep at it!  Ask your 

else people may see it.  Get your friends to put the alerts up on their 


------------------------------



Subject: ALERT: NYC Anti-Censorship Rally/Press Conference, Thu. 2-3pm EST

--------------------------------------------------------------------------


Come good news or bad, Shabbir Safdar  of VTW and Ann

Beeson  of the ACLU will be running a press conference

the CyberCafe in New York's East Village, from 2-3pm EST, Thursday, Dec. 14.


Details and a complete announcement will be issued soon.  Check the VTW

attend) please write to vtw@vtw.org and we will allocate your 1.5 minutes

of fame (you'll have 13.5 minutes remaining for future events).


Basically, this event ends just as the SF and Seattle rallies begin.


Contact:

  Steven Cherry    -  Shabbir Safdar (shabbir@panix.com)

  Voters Telecomm Watch  

  gopher -p 1/vtw gopher.panix.com

  www: http://www.vtw.org/


------------------------------



Subject: ALERT: SF Anti-Censorship Rally, Rain or Shine! Thu. noon PST

----------------------------------------------------------------------


This is an updated announcement for Thursday's Rally Against Censorship,

Thanks!



                *** NETIZENS!! RALLY AGAINST CENSORSHIP ***


                         Thursday, December 14, 1995

                     at South Park, 12:00 noon - 1:00 PM

                          San Francisco, California


                           --  Rain or Shine!  --


     **PROTEST ** PROTEST ** PROTEST ** PROTEST ** PROTEST ** PROTEST **



Amendment I: "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of



     **PROTEST ** PROTEST ** PROTEST ** PROTEST ** PROTEST ** PROTEST **


the House Conference Committee on Telecommunications Reform approved a

the Net and online media will become the most heavily regulated media in

the United States. They *will not* enjoy the First Amendment freedoms now

afforded to print media. Instead, online publishers and users will be held

to a vague and patently un-Constitutional "indecency" standard. "Violators"

years.


media, and telecommunications communities are invited to participate in a

(which is not even connected to the Internet!) are attempting to destroy

our First Amendment rights in cyberspace, and directly attack our

livelihoods.


Help stop the demagogues in Washington! There is nothing "decent" about


WHEN: Thursday, December 14, 1995  12:00 noon - 1:00 PM


WHERE: South Park (between 2nd and 3rd, Bryant and Brannan) San Francisco.

       (In the event of rain, an indoor location will be announced)


SPEAKERS:Mike Godwin, EFF; John Gilmore, co-founder, EFF; Denise Caruso,

New York Times columnist; Jim Warren, online activist; Howard Rheingold,

author; Dave Winer, essayist and software developer; Audrie Krause,

Executive Director, CPSR; Jonathan Steuer, CEO, Cyborganic Corp; Michael

Goldberg, Publisher, Addicted To Noise.


BRING: Attention-grabbing posters, signs, and banners that demonstrate your

committment to free speech and expression, and your feelings about

Congress.


FOR UPDATED INFORMATION: http://www.hotwired.com/staff/digaman


(Although this event is being organized in the offices of Wired magazine

and HotWired, we are *actively* seeking participation and support from all

members of the local community. Please forward this message to anyone you

think should attend, and to all relevant news groups.)


CONTACT: Todd Lappin -- 415-222-6241 -- protest@wired.com


------------------------------



Subject: ALERT: Seattle Anti-Censorship Rally, Thu. noon-1pm PST

----------------------------------------------------------------


     Please distribute -- Please distribute -- Please distribute


** RALLY ** RALLY **   STOP INTERNET CENSORSHIP   ** RALLY ** RALLY **


			    SEATTLE  RALLY


		       Thursday, December 14th


				 NOON


	    Seattle Public Library Auditorium (3rd floor)

			  1000 Fourth Avenue


Congress is putting an axe to the Internet and Free Speech.  On-line

nformation will stop.  Join is in this rally against unreasonable
censorship!


This rally is scheduled to coincide with a similar rally in San Francisco.


      SPEAK UP NOW -- OR WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO IN THE FUTURE!!!



Sponsored by: CPSR-Seattle, ACLU-Washington, Seattle Community Network,

	      911 Media Arts Center


Speakers will include: Rob Glaser (EFF board of directors, founder of

                       Progressive Networks & RealAudio)


	Please distribute this notice to all concerned parties


Contact:

    Sam Tucker                   

    Progressive Networks, Inc.                     

    Home of What's New In Activism Online

    http://www.wnia.org/WNIA/hap/rally.html


------------------------------



Subject: ALERT: Austin Anti-Censorship Rally, Tue. Dec. 19

-----------------------------------------------------------


An Austin, Texas, anti-censorship rally will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 19,

organized by EFF-Austin.  It is later than the others, but they didn't feel

that they could (a) get the word out in time and (b) find a suitable

location before then.


More details as they become available (expected evening of Dec. 13.)


Contact:


David Smith, President, EFF-Austin

bladex@bga.com

+1 512 304 6308


[Part or all of the above alerts borrowed from older announcents from the 

organizers of the rallies.]


------------------------------



Subject: NIIAC Opposes Internet Censorship, Supports Filtering Technology

-------------------------------------------------------------------------


EFF reports that at the National Information Advisory Council public 

meeting, the Council voted to send the following letter to Commerce Dept. 

Secretary Ron Brown.  NIIAC is a civilian advisory body to the Clinton 

Administration on NII issues, including privacy and free expression.  EFF 

board of directors chair Esther Dyson sits on this Council, as has EFF 

co-founder Mitch Kapor.



 *****************


National Information Infrastructure Advisory Council


TO: Secretary of Commerce - Ron Brown


Dear Mr. Secratary:


As you know, the important subject of free speech in a digital environment

s currently being debated on Capitol Hill.  Today, the NII Advisory
Council has adopted recommendations on a number of issues, including that of

free speech. 


The Council has agreed on a KickStart Initiative, which recommends that

every community provide points of access to the information superhighway

though its schools, libraries and community centers.  We must provide

that appropriate access to the data superhighway can be handled without

of filtering out inappropriate material and rating systems which can be

used to guide children's access to material. 


The NIIAC believes that the rights of free speech should not be abridged in

the digital age.  Furthermore, content and services which may be appropriate

for some, may be innapropriate for others.  Rather than restrict all people

from access to these technologies, content and services, we should find

other ways to deal with the issue.  Also, to ensure that information

technology and services may evolve in a timely, productive and competitive

fashion, maximum freedom of choice by individuals and organizations in

the NIIAC has unanimously adopted the following recommendation:



	The government should not be in the business of regulating

	content on the Information Superhighway.  It should defer to

	the use of privately provided filtering, reviewing, rating

	mechanisms and parental supervision, as the best means of

	preventing access by minors to inappropriate materials. 



We hope that this recommendation will be useful to you in your


Sincerely,



[sigs]


Edward R. McCracken, Co-Chair

Delano Lewis, Co-Chair



 ***** end letter *****


------------------------------



Subject: Newsnibbles

--------------------


* Newsbytes section renamed.  Due to legal threats from Newsbytes News 

Network, who perhaps dubiously claim our use of "Newsbytes" as an article 

title is a violation of their trademark, we're renamed this section 

Newsnibbles.  Only geeks will fully grok the pun. :)  No other 

Newsbytes^H^H^H^H^Hnibbles for this issue, due to the urgency of the lead 

articles.


------------------------------



Subject: Upcoming events

------------------------


This schedule lists events that are directly EFF-related. A much more 


ftp: ftp.eff.org, /pub/EFF/calendar.eff




Dec. 12 * National Day of Internet Protest against net censorship legislation

          URL: http://www.eff.org/pub/Alerts/s652_hr1555.alert


Dec. 13 * Second National Day of Internet Protest against net censorship 

          legislation

          URL: http://www.eff.org/pub/Alerts/s652_hr1555.alert


Dec. 14 * Third National Day of Internet Protest against net censorship 

          legislation

          URL: http://www.eff.org/pub/Alerts/s652_hr1555.alert


        * Rally & Press Conference Against Internet Censorship, 2-3pm EST

          CyberCafe, East Village, New York City, NY.  Speakers will 

          include Sabbir Safdar (VTW) and Ann Beeson (ACLU).  Others 

          expected.  No info available until the 13th.

          Email: shabbir@panix.com, stc@vtw.org

          URL: http://www.vtw.org (no info here yet)


        * Rally Against Internet Censorship, 12noon-1pm PST, South Park, San 

          Francisco Calif.  Help stop the demagogues in Washington! There 

          is nothing "decent" about denying free speech to us, our 

          children, and our children's children. Preserve our 

          Constitutional rights! Join us!  Speakers to include EFF staff 

          counsel Mike Godwin, EFF co-founder John Gilmore, Jim Warren 

          (GovAccess), Howard Rheingold (_Virtual_Community_ author), Dave

          Winer (essayist), CPSR exec. dir. Audrie Krause, Jonathan Steuer

          (Cyborganic Corp. CEO), and EFF boardmembers emeritus Denise 

          Caruso (_New_York_Times_) and Jane Metcalfe (_Wired_).

          Contact: Todd Lappin, +1 415 222 6241 (voice - please see URL first)

          Email: protest@wired.com

          URL: http://www.hotwired.com/staff/digaman


        * Rally Against Internet Censorship, 12noon-1pm PST, Seattle 

          Public Library Auditorium (3rd floor), 1000 Fourth Avenue, Seattle

          Wash.  Sponsored by: CPSR-Seattle, ACLU-Washington, Seattle 

          Community Network, 911 Media Arts Center. Speakers will include

          Rob Glaser (EFF/Progressive Networks/RealAudio).

          Email: samt@prognet.com

          URL: http://www.wnia.org/WNIA/hap/rally.html


Dec. 19 * Rally Against Internet Censorship, Austin Texas.  Organized by

          EFF-Austin.  No other info available yet.

          Contact: +1 512 304 6308

          Email: bladex@bga.com

          URL: gopher://gopher.zilker.net:70/11/eff-austin/ (no info here yet)




Jan. 17-

     18 * Innovation Now; Oregon Convention Center, Portland Oregon.

          Sponsored by American Electronics Association's Oregon Council,

          et al.  Speakers include EFF chair of the board Esther Dyson.

          URL: http://www.innovationnow.org/


------------------------------



Subject: Quote of the Day

-------------------------


"[L]iberty of the press is the right of the lonely pamphleteer who uses

carbon paper or a mimeograph just as much as of the large metropolitan

  - judge's decision in _Branzburg_v._Hayes_, 408 U.S. 665, 704 (1972).


Find yourself wondering if your privacy and freedom of speech are safe 

the rush to make us secure from ourselves that our government 

Concerned that legislative efforts nominally to "protect children" will 

actually censor all communications down to only content suitable for 

the playground?  Alarmed by commercial and religious organizations abusing

ntellectual property law to stifle satire, dissent and criticism?

Join EFF!


Even if you don't live in the U.S., the anti-Internet hysteria will soon 

be visiting a legislative body near you.  If it hasn't already.


------------------------------



Subject: What YOU Can Do

------------------------


* The Communications Decency Act & Other Censorship Legislation


The Communications Decency Act and similar legislation pose serious 

threats to freedom of expression online, and to the livelihoods of system 

operators.  The legislation also undermines several crucial privacy 


Business/industry persons concerned should alert their corporate govt.

affairs office and/or legal counsel.  Everyone should write to their own

Representatives and Senators, and especially the conference committee 

members, asking them to oppose Internet censorship legislation, and 

approaches of Leahy, Klink, Cox and Wyden, and to oppose the 

unconstitutional proposals of Exon, Gorton and others.  Urge them to 

accept Whyte's demands that system operators not be held liable for 

crimes they did not commit, and that the FCC be barred from regulating the 

n anti-censorship rallies.  See the first five articles in this newsletter
for more detailed info.


For more information on what you can do to help stop this and other 


ftp.eff.org, /pub/Alerts/


for information to ask@eff.org.



* Digital Telephony/Comms. Assistance to Law Enforcement Act


The FBI is now seeking both funding for the DT/CALEA wiretapping provisions,

and preparing to require that staggering numbers of citizens be 


To oppose the funding, write to your own Senators and Representatives 

urging them to vote against any appropriations for wiretapping. 

To oppose the FBI's wiretapping capacity demands, see the FBI Federal 

Register notice at the end of the second article in this newsletter, which

contains instructions on how to submit formal comments on the ludicrous 

and dangerous proposal - DEADLINE: Jan. 96!



* Anti-Terrorism Bills


Numerous bills threatening your privacy and free speech have been introduced

this year.  None of them are close to passage at this very moment, but 

this status may change. Urge your Congresspersons to oppose these 

unconstitutional and Big-Brotherish bills.



* The Anti-Electronic Racketeering Act


This bill is unlikely to pass in any form, being very poorly drafted, and 

flying colors [the jolly roger?] in the Senate. It's better to be safe 

than sorry. If you have a few moments to spare, writing to, faxing, or 

calling your Congresspersons to urge opposition to this bill is a good 

dea. If you only have time to do limited activism, please concentrate
on the Internet censorship legislation instead. That legislation is far more 

mminent that the AERA.


* Medical Privacy Legislation


Several bills relating to medical privacy issues are floating in Congress 

enhance the medical privacy of citizens.


More information on this legislation will be available at 

t appear there faster. :)


* Find Out Who Your Congresspersons Are


Writing letters to, faxing, and phoning your representatives in Congress

s one very important strategy of activism, and an essential way of
making sure YOUR voice is heard on vital issues.


EFF has lists of the Senate and House with contact information, as well

as lists of Congressional committees. (A House list is included in this

ssue of EFFector). These lists are available at:
ftp.eff.org, /pub/Activism/Congress_cmtes/


The full Senate and House lists are senate.list and hr.list, respectively.

Those not in the U.S. should seek out similar information about their

own legislative bodies.  EFF will be happy to archive any such

nformation provided.

try contacting your local League of Women Voters, who maintain a great 

that matches Zip Codes to Congressional districts with about 85%

accuracy at:



* Join EFF!


You *know* privacy, freedom of speech and ability to make your voice heard

n government are important. You have probably participated in our online
campaigns and forums.  Have you become a member of EFF yet?  The best way to

opinions heard.  EFF members are informed and are making a difference.  Join

EFF today!


For EFF membership info, send queries to membership@eff.org, or send any

message to info@eff.org for basic EFF info, and a membership form.


------------------------------



Administrivia

=============


EFFector Online is published by:


The Electronic Frontier Foundation

San Francisco CA 94103 USA

+1 415 436 9333 (voice)

+1 415 436 9993 (fax)

Membership & donations: membership@eff.org

Legal services: ssteele@eff.org

General EFF, legal, policy or online resources queries: ask@eff.org


Editor: 

Stanton McCandlish, Online Services Mgr./Activist/Archivist (mech@eff.org)


This newsletter is printed on 100% recycled electrons.


Reproduction of this publication in electronic media is encouraged.  Signed

articles do not necessarily represent the views of EFF.  To reproduce

ually at will.


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------------------------------






End of EFFector Online v08 #22 Digest

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