The Recording Industry Association of America recently unleashed its lawyers upon hundreds of file-swappers, threatening lawsuits and charges of up to $150,000 per song.

The lawsuits are largely due to the RIAA’s inability to convince congress to shut down P2P networks; because P2P networks do have valid legal uses, and since the networks themselves have no control over the actions of their users, Congress has yet to find a compelling reason to shut them down. Recently, another reason has been put forth by the RIAA: child pornography.

The RIAA recently stated that, since P2P networks are used by child pornographers, they should be pressured to control how people use their networks.

While there is no doubt that child pornographers have profitted from P2P networks, the RIAA’s tactics are nonetheless reprehensible. The RIAA has already shown that going after file-sharers is a more efficient (and more legal) way to shut down illegal file-swapping. In the case of child pornography, the same situation applies. The government should task itself with hunting down those who share images of despicable acts against children, not legislating against technologies which have legitimate uses.

Child pornographers are taking advantage of the Internet, and if the RIAA were truly concerned for the welfare of abused children, it would press Congress to investigate child pornography with the same zeal it is now investigating copyright infringement. By trying to link the owners of P2P networks with traders of child pornography, the RIAA is not only manipulating peoples’ emotions in the hopes of shutting down legal businesses, it is also displaying outrageous contempt for a real crisis. Congress would do well to ignore the panderings of the RIAA.

I’ve moved back to Tufts, into my spacious (but barren) single in the Russian House, and with less than eight hours before my first class of the school year, I’m procrastinating.
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