Senators Ease Off Internet 'Censorship' Bill After Outcry

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    Date: 
    4 October 2010

    Senate sponsors have eased off a bill aimed at cracking down on online piracy after an outcry from Internet engineers who say the proposal would effectively censor the Web.

    The Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act still would contain some highly controversial provisions, but senators proposed an amendment Wednesday to strip from the bill language that allowed the Justice Department to publish a blacklist of websites "dedicated to infringing activities."

    Under the original bill, the Justice Department would be able to green light Internet service providers to go after those sites by providing them legal immunity.