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03/25/2005 Archived Entry: ""

Bad news for bloggers in Utah who must now comply with new regulations that include a compulsory rating system. For full story click here or read on....

The article: Blogs hosted in Utah are to face strict legal regulation due to new laws signed by the Utah State Governor that are designed to protect children from Internet pornography. The most immediate effect of the law is a requirement that will make it compulsory for bloggers who host their blogs in Utah to provide content rating for their sites.

The laws also creates a “adult content registry” to be run by the State’s Attorney General, that will provide a list of sites that are alleged to contain content harmful to minors, and provisions that internet users will be able to request that blogs and other sites that they find offensive must be blocked by Internet service providers operating in the State.

Whilst many blogs will not naturally fit the definition of providing “adult content", writing of adult concepts, including but not limited to descriptions of adult relationships of a sexual nature in the context of a blog will be affected by the law. Blogs hosted in Utah that also fail to attempt to restrict access to adult material from minors may also be subject to criminal sanctions, including fines and possible jail time.

A full copy of the changes is available here (pdf). I assume that ifeminists.net and this blog would be rated as "adult content" and I would have to register with the Utah AG. After all, both sites discuss pornography and I doubt if it matters that the discussions are of a cultural/political nature.