Were you aware of this current regulation in the United States that was put into effect two years ago?
*Bloggers cannot be considered to have made a contribution or expenditure on behalf of (or in opposition to) a candidate simply because they link to campaign websites or write about the positions of federal candidates. Additionally, blogs are treated as any other publication under the general media exemption from most campaign finance restrictions. Without such protections, bloggers could be subject to various limitations and reporting requirements under campaign finance law.*
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) issued the regulation to protect bloggers from being hampered by certain campaign finance laws.
Here’s the catch.
Since this protection is just regulatory, not a statute, it can be changed without congressional action. Also, the aforementioned FEC is currently defunct.
This week, Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) will introduce the Blogger Protection Act of 2008.
It will be interesting to see if Congress wants to protect bloggers.
Read in detail about the The Blogger Protection Act of 2008 here. (PDF)
