IP: Hoax E-Mail Tax Bill Question at U.S. Senate (NY) Debate

[Dave Farber <farber@cis.upenn.edu>]

>Date: Sun, 8 Oct 2000 09:00:14 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren@vortex.com>
>To: farber@cis.upenn.edu
>Subject: Hoax E-Mail Tax Bill Question at U.S. Senate (NY) Debate
>Cc: lauren@pfir.org, neumann@pfir.org
>
>Dave,
>
>Greetings.  I thought a heads-up on this might be in order.  This morning at
>the Clinton/Lazio debate to fill the U.S. Senate seat from the state of New
>York, the candidates were asked about a pending Senate Bill to impose an
>E-Mail Tax (usually designated Bill 602P).  Both candidates denounced it.
>
>Of course, THIS BILL DOES NOT EXIST AND NEVER HAS EXISTED.  It is one of the
>more persistent Internet hoaxes and has been widely denounced as such for a
>very long time.  Unfortunately, it appears that the questions at the debate
>(which was telecast live at least nationally by CNN and locally in NY by
>other outlets) were not properly vetted.  Nor would a real U.S. Senate bill
>even exist with such a nomenclature, as far as I know.
>
>Thumbs down on the debate for helping to spread this disruptive hoax.
>
>For some additional thoughts on the issues of Internet hoaxes, the
>PFIR (People For Internet Responsibility) statement on this topic
>is at http://www.pfir.org/statements/hoaxes.
>
>Take care.
>
>--Lauren--
>Lauren Weinstein
>lauren@pfir.org or lauren@vortex.com or lauren@privacyforum.org
>Co-Founder, PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
>Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
>Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy