Don't regulate the search engines, except in one small way Don't regulate the search engines, except in one small way

This, however, is a very bad idea:

The subcommittee’s chairman, Representative Christopher H. Smith, Republican of New Jersey, plans to introduce legislation by week’s end that would restrict an Internet company’s ability to censor or filter basic political or religious terms — even if that puts the company at odds with local laws in the countries where it now operates.

This is a bad idea for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it will hurt, rather than help, the very people it is trying to support. But I’ll get back to that in a bit.

This, however, is a very bad idea:

The subcommittee’s chairman, Representative Christopher H. Smith, Republican of New Jersey, plans to introduce legislation by week’s end that would restrict an Internet company’s ability to censor or filter basic political or religious terms — even if that puts the company at odds with local laws in the countries where it now operates.

This is a bad idea for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it will hurt, rather than help, the very people it is trying to support. But I’ll get back to that in a bit.