Senators call for internet porn tax

OUT-LAW News, 08/02/2005

Legislation that aims to make the internet a safer place for children was introduced into Congress last week, with the intention of imposing a 25% excise tax on internet pornography transactions.

The Internet Safety and Child Protection Act of 2005, introduced by Democrat Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and eight other Senators, was published in coordination with the release of a new report by Third Way, a centrist think tank and advocacy group.

Third Way’s report exposes alarming statistics linking children to pornographic web sites. It finds that children between the ages of 12-17 are the largest viewers of internet pornography, and the average age at which children are first exposed to on-line pornography is 11 years of age.

“The internet has become our new American Main Street, and it’s literally transforming the experience of growing up in America in a way much different from the way parents of today grew up,” Senator Lincoln said.

“Many internet service providers have taken significant steps to provide parents with tools to protect their children from inappropriate material on-line and they should be commended,” she continued. “But sadly, many adult oriented web sites in today’s on-line world are not only failing to keep products unsuitable for children from view, but are also pushing those products in children’s faces. And it’s time that we stand up and say, enough is enough.”

The legislation has three clear objectives:

§ Requires Age Verification – Adult, for-profit web sites will be required to use software to verify the age of users attempting to access their web sites. On-line
merchants, banks, and credit card companies will not be able to process
payment transactions that are not age verified. The FTC will issue and
enforce the regulations outlined in this section.

§ Establish an Internet Safety and Child Protection Trust Fund
(ISCP Trust Fund) – This fund will centralise and coordinate the
allocation of federal resources in support of efforts on the part of
law enforcement and others to combat internet and pornography
related crimes against children. Trust Fund resources will also
support initiatives that help parents exercise greater supervision
over their kids’ on-line activities.

§ Force Pornographers to Pay the Costs of Child Protection –
The Internet Safety and Child Protection Trust Fund will not be
deficit-financed or financed from taxes paid by the average,
working American. Rather, the Trust Fund will be financed by
a 25% excise tax on internet pornography transactions.

Democrat Representatives Jim Matheson and Robert Menendez have introduced similar legislation into the House of Representatives.

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Do I really need to tell you what I think of this one?? It's only here, to show just how absurd these morons can be. It's that damned EEEEVIL Internet thingie, AGAIN!

Grab your coat, Mabel, We're goin' to town! We're gonna talk to the Mayor, 'bout this taxation stuff!!

God Bless,
Dan'L