Blogger Protection Act of 2008 Introduced

Posted on April 3, 2008

The "Blogger Protection Act of 2008" was introduced today.  The bill would protect bloggers from dangerous campaign finance regulations.

The proposed legislation, introduced today, guarantees blogs the same protections granted to other forms of media under federal campaign finance laws. 

"Bloggers deserve to have their First Amendment rights secured in statute," said Bradley A. Smith, chairman of the Center for Competitive Politics. "Blogs have transformed the political process and made communication among citizens exponentially easier."   

The legislation also protects bloggers from ever being considered to have made a contribution or expenditure on behalf of, or in opposition to, a candidate by simply linking to campaign websites or writing about the positions of federal candidates.   

"Just three years ago, FEC staff drafted regulations that would have virtually shuttered all blogs," recalled Smith who as an FEC commissioner at the time warned bloggers of the proposed rulemakings.

The FEC eventually issued regulations two years ago preventing bloggers from being hampered by campaign finance laws.  But the blogger protections are regulatory and bloggers do not enjoy statutory protection. 

"Without this law, there is no guarantee that a future Commission won't regulate the blogosphere," Smith observed. "Congress doesn't need to act for regulations to change."