If the Democrats aren't careful, the Republicans are going to become the party of internet freedom. The only thing keeping this from happening is net neutrality which Democrats continue to support while Republicans are pushing for a corporate takeover of the tubes. But on SOPA and Protect IP, the Democrats were most-definitely the villains, with the exception of the president.
Internet freedom could be the hinge upon which the youth vote hangs. Michele Bachmann, for example, is a demon in most respects, but she was vocal about her opposition to SOPA and for many of us, a free internet is the centerpiece of our universe. But the lure of Hollywood money might be too strong for the Democrats, so they're compelled to crack down on piracy no matter what.
Meanwhile, Democrats are pushing for laws that would force internet service providers to keep a record of websites we peruse.
Hawaii's legislature is weighing an unprecedented proposal to curb the privacy of Aloha State residents: requiring Internet providers to keep track of every Web site their customers visit.
Its House of Representatives has scheduled a hearing this morning on a new bill (PDF) requiring the creation of virtual dossiers on state residents. The measure, H.B. 2288, says "Internet destination history information" and "subscriber's information" such as name and address must be saved for two years.
H.B. 2288, which was introduced Friday, says the dossiers must include a list of Internet Protocol addresses and domain names visited. Democratic Rep. John Mizuno of Oahu is the lead sponsor; Mizuno also introduced H.B. 2287, a computer crime bill, at the same time last week.
No, no, no. Naturally, this is a violation of the 4th Amendment and will hopefully be stopped before it's passed. Regardless, the Democrats are on the wrong side of this thing whether it passes or not. Leave the police state crap to the Republicans. It's their thing and they're good at it.