Sometimes I wonder why there’s so much bad news around. It almost seems that everywhere I look, a law is being made that makes you question if the lawmakers actually know what they’re making laws about. Answer: They usually _don’t_ especially, when its technology related.
At any rate, the latest example of legislative stupidity is this marvel from the Michigan legislature.
Clause 1b: Say goodbye to NAT, routers, firewalls and VPN guys.
Also, I wonder how TLS falls into the whole scheme of things. At least it asn’t as broad as this misinformed bill (which would be multi-state).
You know, I was talking to a colleague at work, and somehow the topic drifted over to laws. This guy has worked for quite some time in the DND and he said (and I paraphrase) ‘You always have to remember in the States, that money talks, and rarely do you see a law passed that doesn’t especially benefit a big business’. I believe that phrase. For all the American government’s shrill trumpeting that it is all for competition and market forces, as well as laws for the good of the consumer, I’ve often found that the technology laws are heavily biased towards corporations.
Since Sept 11, 2001, the different branches of government have been open to _any_ law that claims to limit the effectiveness of terrorists and increase the law enforcement capabilities (often at the expense of the unkowning American citizen). I wonder if some day I will live in a world where an American’s only right is to consume.
And to think I wanted a job in the US. No way. And, I also hope that sort of stupidity doesn’t leak over the border.