======================================================================== JOIN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF OTHER INTERNET USERS IN * 48 HOURS OF PROTEST * AFTER PRESIDENT CLINTON SIGNS THE BILL THAT WILL CENSOR THE INTERNET Update: -Latest News: Congress passed the net censorship language on 2/1/96. -What You Can Do Now: Help demonstrate the extent of the impact of the Internet Censorship legislation. Join Hundreds of thousands of Internet Users in an International protest for 48 hours after Clinton Signs the bill on Thurs 2/8/96 at 11am EST. CAMPAIGN TO STOP THE UNCONSTITUTIONAL COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT Feb 7, 1996 (expires Feb 29, 1996) PLEASE WIDELY REDISTRIBUTE THIS DOCUMENT WITH THIS BANNER INTACT This alert and coalition coordinated by the Voters Telecommunications Watch (vtw@vtw.org) ________________________________________________________________________ CONTENTS The Latest News What You Can Do Now Press Release from Rep. Jerrold Nadler (first member of the House of Representatives to turn his WWW pages black) Chronology of the CDA For More Information List Of Participating Organizations ________________________________________________________________________ THE LATEST NEWS On Thursday, Feb 8th at 11am President Bill Clinton will sign the Telecommunications bill into law and Internet users all over the world will turn their World Wide Web pages black for 48 hours to show their solidarity and anger over this legislation. If you're waiting to be told to turn your pages black, do so at 11am at the signing ceremony begins! Who's participating? Members of Congress, grammar schools, huge publishing empires, public interest groups, veterans and most importantly, everyday people like you and I. Don't be left out! Recent Events Last week Congress approved sweeping restrictions on online speech and conduct, imposing fines of $250,000 and jail sentences of 2 years for anyone who makes "indecent" material available in a public forum online. This legislation threatens the very existence of the Internet as a viable means of free expression, education, and political discourse. Despite loud objections from civil liberties groups and the public, the measure is part of a massive telecommunications bill that President Clinton has already pledged to sign. Although you should feel free to continue to express your objections directly to the President, there are other ways to express our outrage for this legislation. The President is expected to sign this bill into law Feb 8, 1996 at 11am. For 48 hours after Clinton signs the Telecommunications Reform bill into law, join hundreds of thousands of Internet users everywhere to show the far reaching impact this bill will have on all Internet users. TURN YOUR WORLD WIDE WEB PAGES BLACK with white lettering to demonstrate that the Internet will not accept this kind of second class treatment from the United States Government. ________________________________________________________________________ WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW 1. For 48 hours after Clinton signs the net censorship language in the Telecomm bill into law, TURN YOUR WORLD WIDE WEB PAGES BLACK with white lettering. To know when the bill is signed, check these sources: Newsgroups: alt.society.civil-disob Email:vtw-announce@vtw.org (watch for mail on this list) WWW:http://www.vtw.org/ Finger:vtw@panix.com You can also just watch CNN; they'll announce the signing of the bill. Right now it is scheduled for 11am, EST. To turn your pages black with white lettering, simply add the following tag to your World Wide Web pages: <BODY BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#FFFFFF" link="0099ff" vlink="#00ff99" ALINK="#FF00FF"> . . . Put this right after your <head>tags, and before any tags. To explain to people who may be confused by the color change, temporarily add the following link to your page: <a href="http://www.vtw.org/speech/">My World Wide Web Pages are black for 48 hours to protest second-class treatment from the US Government for free speech. Read about it at this WWW page. The Center for Democracy and Technology has also agreed to mirror a similar page at URL:http://www.cdt.org/speech.html. If your pages get lots of hits from services that cache their pages like America Online, you may wish to start turning your pages black early. Please try and wait though until Clinton signs the bill, for maximum effect. Non-Internet BBSs that want to participate might want to put something like this on their welcome screen. (your own words would be more meaningful) MOLLY'S BBS HAS TEMPORARILY DARKENED ITS LOG-ON SCREEN TO PROTEST CONGRESS' PASSAGE OF THE "COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT" WHICH WOULD UNCONSTITUTIONALLY ATTEMPT TO REGULATE THE INTERNET. Also, urge your Internet Provider and any Internet WWW pages you frequent to turn their pages black. Send us interesting sites that comply to vtw@vtw.org. $ Mail vtw@vtw.org Subject: ZTV.COM is turning their pages black! I'm the head of the ZTV Website and I've decided to turn our pages black. Thought you'd like to know. Our URL is: <a href="http://www.ztv.com/">ZTV</a> ^D Mail sent! If you are worried that non-Netscape users will miss the point of your protest, feel free to place a black armband on your page. Although it easy to make one yourself, we've provided one at http://www.vtw.org/images/blk.gif 2. Don't forget to send Clinton a message, contact him at: Email:president@whitehouse.gov Telephone:202-456-1111 Fax:202-456-2461 Sample communique: <ring ring> You're about to sign a bill into law that imposes a ter rible set of speech restrictions on the Internet that belong in the broadcast medium, not the interactive one. I'm turning my World Wide Web pages BLACK for 48 hours after you sign the bill as a symbol of protest to show how many people will be affected by this bill. It is unlikely that he will veto the bill. 3. Make a commitment become involved! There will be several court cases coming up to challenge the Internet censorship legislation, as well as an election that will put every single member of the House, and 1/3rd of the Senate (most of whom voted for this legislation) onto the ballot. Don't let them get away with this. Make this a campaign issue, and keep an eye out for legal defense funds for those challenging these laws in court. ________________________________________________________________________ PRESS RELEASE FROM REP. JERROLD NADLER NEWS RELEASE ---------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JERROLD NADLER 8TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT - NEW YORK 109 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-5635 * e-mail - nadler@hr.house.gov ----------------------------------------------------------------- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Amy Green (202) 225-5635 Wednesday, February 7, 1996 Abby Russell (212) 334-3207 REP. JERROLD NADLER TURNS WEB PAGE BLACK TO PROTEST INTERNET CENSORSHIP Washington, D.C. -- Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) today became the first Member of Congress to protest censorship language in the recently passed telecommunications bill by turning his Internet homepage to black. "I am proud to join the thousands of groups and individuals who are committed to freedom of expression, and are turning their web pages black to show their opposition to cyber-censorship," said Rep. Nadler. The telecommunications bill, which Rep. Nadler voted against, included language that will result in the restriction of a free flow of information on the Internet. The provision stipulates that "indecent" materials cannot be distributed over the Internet to minors. "While the stated intent of this provision is to limit minors' access to 'indecent' material, in fact, its effect will be to limit everyone's constitutionally guaranteed right to free expression," said Rep. Nadler. "This provision will dangerously constrain free electronic speech. It is the cyberspace equivalent to book burning, and those who claim to support the First Amendment have a responsibility to speak out against this harmful measure," said Rep. Nadler. Rep. Nadler's web address is: http://www.house.gov/nadler/welcome.html Rep. Nadler's e-mail address is: nadler@hr.house.gov # # # # ________________________________________________________________________ CHRONOLOGY OF THE COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT Feb 8, '96 President Clinton signs the Telecomm bill into law. Feb 1, '96 The House and Senate pass the Telecomm Bill (S652/HR1555) 414-16 and 91-5. Jan 31, '96 The House and Senate prepare to signoff on the conference report for the Telecomm bill and rush a vote to the floor. Dec 7, '95 The House half of the Telecomm conference committee votes the "indecency" standard for online speech into the Telecomm Deregulation bill. Sep 26, '95 Sen. Russ Feingold urges committee members to drop Managers Amendment and the CDA from the Telecommunications Deregulation bill Aug 4, '95 House passes HR1555 which goes into conference with S652. Aug 4, '95 House votes to attach Managers Amendment (which contains new criminal penalties for speech online) to Telecommunications Reform bill (HR1555). Aug 4, '95 House votes 421-4 to attach HR1978 to Telecommunications Reform bill (HR1555). Jun 30, '95 Cox and Wyden introduce the "Internet Freedom and Family Empowerment Act" (HR 1978) as an alternative to the CDA. Jun 21, '95 Several prominent House members publicly announce their opposition to the CDA, including Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-GA), Rep. Chris Cox (R-CA), and Rep. Ron Wyden (D-OR). Jun 14, '95 The Senate passes the CDA as attached to the Telecomm reform bill (S 652) by a vote of 84-16. The Leahy bill (S 714) is not passed, but is supported by 16 Senators who understand the Internet. May 24, '95 The House Telecomm Reform bill (HR 1555) leaves committee in the House with the Leahy alternative attached to it, thanks to Rep. Ron Klink of (D-PA). The Communications Decency Act is not attached to it. Apr 7, '95 Sen. Leahy (D-VT) introduces S.714, an alternative to the Exon/Gorton bill, which commissions the Dept. of Justice to study the problem to see if additional legislation (such as the CDA) is necessary. Mar 23, '95 S314 amended and attached to the telecommunications reform bill by Sen. Gorton (R-WA). Language provides some provider protection, but continues to infringe upon email privacy and free speech. Feb 21, '95 HR1004 referred to the House Commerce and Judiciary committees Feb 21, '95 HR1004 introduced by Rep. Johnson (D-SD) Feb 1, '95 S314 referred to the Senate Commerce committee Feb 1, '95 S314 introduced by Sen. Exon (D-NE) and Gorton (R-WA). ________________________________________________________________________ FOR MORE INFORMATION Web Sites (roughly in alphabetical order) URL:http://www.vtw.org/ URL:http://www.cdt.org/cda.html URL:http://www.cpsr.org/ URL:http://www.eff.org/pub/Alerts/ URL:http://epic.org/ Email: cda-info@cdt.org (General CDA information) cda-stat@cdt.org (Current status of the CDA) ________________________________________________________________________ LIST OF PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES In order to use the net more effectively, several organizations have joined forces on a single Congressional net campaign to stop the Communications Decency Act. Because the list is so long, we've been forced to omit many fine organizations. See the VTW Free Speech Web Page at URL:http://www.vtw.org/speech/ for the whole list. Public Interest Organizations Businesses Voters Telecommunications Watch (VTW) | ECHO (www.echonyc.com) | Hotwired (www.hotwired.com) Center For Democracy And Technology (CDT) | Mindvox (www.phantom.com) Center for Public Representation (CPR) | Panix (www.panix.com) Computer Professionals for | The WELL (www.well.com) Social Responsibility (CPSR) | Wired (www.wired.com) Cyber-Rights Campaign +------------------------- Electronic Fronter Foundation (EFF), and independent regional Electronic Frontier organizations Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Feminists for Free Expression Hands! Off The Net Internet Users Consortium (IUC) Joint Artists' and Music The Libertarian Party (LP) Promotions Political Action National Campaign for Freedom of Expression Committee (JAMPAC) National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) National Gay and Lesbian National Writers Union (NWU) Task Force (NGLTF) People for the American Way (PFAW) Republican Liberty Caucus ________________________________________________________________________ End Alert ========================================================================