In a huge victory for political speech on the internet, the Federal Election Commission has decided to keep the internet largely exempt from campaign finance law. The only area in which FEC regulations will affect internet sites is paid advertising, to which the usual rules regarding coordination and disclosure will apply. Perhaps the biggest win is that websites will be eligible for the same media exemption enjoyed by newspapers and other media that engage in political commentary. Even a blogger who urges readers to donate to a candidate will not be regulated.
The AP report is here, and a longer write-up by Kos’s very well-informed Adam B is here.
Please share widely!
Nice to know some things are winnable.