November 19, 2005 | Sex & Society

US porn law invades Canadian privacy

Celine Dion. Alanis Morissette. Pamela Anderson. Even Jim Carrey. A lot of "American" celebrities are made in Canada.

So, in fact, is a lot of "American" porn. And now, thanks to recent changes to a 1990 U.S. anti-child-porn law, the northerly makers of that popular porn are up in arms.

At issue is Regulation 2257, which requires porn producers in the United States to supply confidential contact information for the adult entertainers that they employ - including their real names and, in some cases, their addresses, social security numbers and driver's license numbers - to any website that purchase adult images or videos from them.

Supporters of 2257 say it protects underage youth from exploitation. Opponents, however, argue that it violates the privacy of adult performers. One such opponent, The Free Speech Coalition, a Canoga Park, Calif.-based trade association for the adult entertainment industry, has even filed suit against the U.S. government to prevent the law from being enforced on grounds that it violates the First Amendment.

Also of concern is the growing reach of U.S. law on the international landscape. In Canada, abiding by the new law could mean violating Canadian privacy protections for the sake of cross-border trade. That's because Canadian webmasters who wish to sell their services in the United States must abide by U.S. standards, even though they don't formally apply to them.

David Fewer, staff counsel for the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic, told the Ottawa Citizen that 2257 is a "subspecies of a wider phenomenon where [the United States is] basically exporting domestic laws."

What's next? Requiring the French to say the Pledge of Allegiance? Stay tuned ...

• Canadian online porn industry calls U.S. law invasion of privacy [Canada.com]