Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!rutgers!ames!amdahl!bnrmtv!perkins From: perkins@bnrmtv.UUCP (Henry Perkins) Newsgroups: comp.misc Subject: Re: PhonePhreaking in Europe Message-ID: <2494@bnrmtv.UUCP> Date: Fri, 4-Sep-87 16:14:59 EDT Article-I.D.: bnrmtv.2494 Posted: Fri Sep 4 16:14:59 1987 Date-Received: Sun, 6-Sep-87 01:56:34 EDT References: <812@cod.UUCP> <2133@eecae.UUCP> <813@cod.UUCP> <715@spar.SPAR.SLB.COM> Organization: BNR Inc., Mountain View, California Lines: 33 Summary: FCC restrictions don't apply to computer networks, thank goodness. In article <715@spar.SPAR.SLB.COM>, hunt@spar.SPAR.SLB.COM (Neil Hunt) writes: > I though that there was some restriction about discussion of illegal > or immoral acts on certain channels of communication, such as radio, > and networks ? The content restrictions are directed at limited-bandwidth BROADCAST media regulated by the FCC. Also, while there are FCC restrictions on "obscenity", there are no other regulations that try to impose morality standards on media. This is a good thing -- for instance, I think it's immoral to have more than 2 children but the millions of "Cosby" TV viewers are probably happy that I can't impose my moral judgments on TV content. Also, guns are censored on Swedish television, yet "Miami Vice" fans would be disappointed if they couldn't be fired on TV. Usenet and other computer networks aren't regulated by the FCC. The phone network which carries UUCP traffic IS regulated, but the regulations are almost wholly concerned with voice transmission -- data isn't covered. You can make an obscene voice call but you can't make an obscene modem call, because the latter doesn't exist in the FCC code. Finally, the only type of discussion that's a federal crime is sedition -- conspiracy to commit treason. You can talk about anything you like, as long as you don't plot the overthrow of the government or reveal classified government secrets. Discussions of weaknesses in European phone systems aren't anything that the U.S. government is concerned with. -- {hplabs,amdahl,ames}!bnrmtv!perkins --Henry Perkins It is better never to have been born. But who among us has such luck? One in a million, perhaps.