The Internet Archive’s federal challenge to a new Washington State law had its first hearing on Friday. The law intends to make online service providers criminally liable for providing access to third parties’ offensive materials.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is representing the Internet Archive in order to block the enforcement of SB 6251, a law aimed at combatting advertisements for underage sex workers but with vague and overbroad language that is squarely in conflict with federal law.
“The Internet Archive, as an online library, archives the World Wide Web and other digital materials for researchers, historians, and the general public,” said Brewster Kahle, Digital Librarian and founder of the Internet Archive. “We strongly support law enforcement efforts to combat child sex trafficking, but this new law could endanger libraries and other entities that bring access to websites and user-generated content.”
Read the press release and press reports on the hearing, and other press.