A federal judge today issued an injunction against a new Massachusetts law that tried to apply its “matter harmful to minors” law to the Internet. Because it’s difficult to ascertain someone’s age on the ‘Net, that attempt turned out to be far too broad.

The fuss began back in February, when the state supreme court ruled that the “matter” which could harm minors did not legally include electronic transmissions. The result: overturning a conviction of a man who engaged in lurid instant messaging chats with someone who he believed to be 13 (in reality, “she” was the police, who arrested the man when he tried to meet the “girl”).

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Originally posted here:
Judge realizes: on the Internet, no one can tell you’re a kid