Firewalls now illegal in Michigan

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kranky

kranky

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
21,019
156
106
Interesting that these new laws being rushed into effect by different states at the urging of the MPAA have consequences they didn't anticipate.

According to freedom-to-tinker.com, the Michigan law that went into effect on March 31 bans "the possession, sale, or use of technologies that 'conceal from a communication service provider ... the existence or place of origin or destination of any communication'. Your ISP is a communication service provider, so anything that concealed the origin or destination of any communication from your ISP would be illegal -- with no exceptions."

Of course, if your firewall uses NAT, you are in violation of the law because it conceals the origin of the communications by altering the "from" and "to" fields of packets going over the net. Also, it's clear that encrypted email is in violation of the law.
 

Originally posted by: vi_edit
This actually PASSED?!?!?!?!?!
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what do you expect when those that make the laws only see the money at first, and the after-effects last?
 
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BatmanNate

Lifer
Jul 12, 2000
12,444
2
81
This is a travesty; a blatant, inexcusable instance of complete disregard for individualist privacy and rights. If my corporation operated in that state, I would be willing to bet it would make it to the supreme court.
 
rudeguy

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
14
61
Originally posted by: BatmanNate
This is a travesty; a blatant, inexcusable instance of complete disregard for individualist privacy and rights. If my corporation operated in that state, I would be willing to bet it would make it to the supreme court.
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no one is going to change anything...its another law to selectively use...its just bs

 

Originally posted by: BatmanNate
This is a travesty; a blatant, inexcusable instance of complete disregard for individualist privacy and rights. If my corporation operated in that state, I would be willing to bet it would make it to the supreme court.
Click to expand...

something tells me it will be challenged shortly by ISP's, lots of major corporations, several civil rights groups, banks, and anyone else that might need a firewall.
 
B

BatmanNate

Lifer
Jul 12, 2000
12,444
2
81
Originally posted by: rudeguy5757
Originally posted by: BatmanNate
This is a travesty; a blatant, inexcusable instance of complete disregard for individualist privacy and rights. If my corporation operated in that state, I would be willing to bet it would make it to the supreme court.
Click to expand...
no one is going to change anything...its another law to selectively use...its just bs
Click to expand...

It is unconstitutionaly, and I would wager that it would be ruled so even by the current bench if anyone in that state had the courage to fight it. Something like that would NEVER pass in my state.
 

Originally posted by: rudeguy5757
Originally posted by: BatmanNate
This is a travesty; a blatant, inexcusable instance of complete disregard for individualist privacy and rights. If my corporation operated in that state, I would be willing to bet it would make it to the supreme court.
Click to expand...
no one is going to change anything...its another law to selectively use...its just bs
Click to expand...

selectively use...right...
rolleye.gif
 
kranky

kranky

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
21,019
156
106
Well, remember that Michigan and the other states really didn't intend to outlaw firewalls. They just passed laws using the language "suggested" by the MPAA. The laws are so broad, they cover all kinds of things that they didn't stop to think about. That doesn't upset the MPAA in the least, of course. Lawmakers rarely hear from the public on proposed new laws, so they end up hearing only one side of the story - the MPAA side.

See where your state stands with respect to the so-called "Super-DMCA" laws here.
 
S

Saltin

Platinum Member
Jul 21, 2001
2,175
0
0
Though the exact origin of the communication (somewhere on the private network) would be obscured, it would still be trivial for your ISP to determine the packet came from your block of public IP's, so in a roundabout way, the origin of the packet is not exactly obscured, is it? Your network can still be held accountable for any packets it generates, regardless of which machine they originally came from.

What about VPN's?
 
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brxndxn

Diamond Member
Apr 3, 2001
8,475
0
76
no one is going to change anything...its another law to selectively use...its just bs
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I hate selective laws!!! Any law that commonly makes a law-abiding citizen a law-breaker is an unjust law, IMO.. That goes for speeding laws and marijuana laws and underage drinking laws.

That law needs to go down hard.. the politicians that passed it need to be remembered and get voted out.
 
M

Mill

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
28,558
3
81
Originally posted by: Tyler
I hate politicians passing laws governing technology that they don't understand.
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As do I. I hate politicians period. Damn idiots.
 
vi edit

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
The Socialist Republic's of Illinois and Georgia passed it. No surprise there.

 
Y

Ylen13

Banned
Sep 18, 2001
2,457
0
0
i hope it passes and forced all major firms to uninstall firewalls, after that fun should begun in hacking all of them :)
 
Zenmervolt

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
24,514
44
91
Originally posted by: kranky
Well, remember that Michigan and the other states really didn't intend to outlaw firewalls. They just passed laws using the language "suggested" by the MPAA. The laws are so broad, they cover all kinds of things that they didn't stop to think about. That doesn't upset the MPAA in the least, of course. Lawmakers rarely hear from the public on proposed new laws, so they end up hearing only one side of the story - the MPAA side.

See where your state stands with respect to the so-called "Super-DMCA" laws here.
Click to expand...
Holy crap! PA has had an almost identical law on the books since 2000. The University of Pittsburgh is in violation of the law I guess. haha. Gotta love stupid laws.

ZV
 
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n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
42,936
1
0
Screw Michigan. Let the politicians there rot in the void they are creating. Web based business owners in Michigan (people actually live there?) should take their business to a state that cares.
 
MichaelD

MichaelD

Lifer
Jan 16, 2001
31,528
3
76
Originally posted by: MainFramed
my whole house is illegal....
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*ratting you out* "Uh, hello Michigan Dept of Electronic Enforcement?"

j/k

I think this is a complete crock. If firewalls are ILLEGAL, how to banks, hospitals and other large companies in MI protect themselves? :confused:
 
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