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Blogging Against the Law?

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  • Description

    Nutrition blogger Steve Cooksey discusses how North Carolina has regulated his blog.

  • Duration 4:22
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This transcript is automatically generated

On campuses like this it's always threatens somewhere buys somebody in authority.

Here's another example Steve cook C works for -- medical equipment company here in North Carolina but also on the side.

You try your hand -- blogging in you've got adjusted nutrition.

Eroded -- block like dear -- giving advice and what happened.

Well I was told by the state of North Carolina that I should stop giving nutritional advice and nutritional guidance they they even.

-- -- -- -- I'm here and with red lines here -- here's why you may not because.

You're giving advice that you may not do that without a license.

So tell -- final I have often get certification to tell people to eat meats and vegetables.

Why is it against the law called detail people to avoid greetings to Joseph Bob Bennett to reduce -- just to help the normalized for what -- why -- that wrong.

So you contacted a group called the Institute for Justice he heard about them they fight these rules and Paul surely -- a lawyer with them.

Would you.

Well we litigate across the country on behalf of people -- -- -- threatened by the government and one of the areas we work in is the First Amendment.

And we felt terrible.

For Steve but we were also excited because this case raises one of the most important unanswered questions and First Amendment law.

Which is what happens when the government's power to regulate occupations conflicts.

With free speech.

And they regulate a lot of occupations these days more and more all the time it used to be able to just start a business now it can call how much what is the cost it.

It would have cost you thousands of dollars and it would take have taken years of his life.

To get the dietitian licensing and this is a nationwide problem fifty years ago only 5% of the American population vehicle license from the government.

To work in their chosen occupation now that number is 30% and it's continuing to increase.

Us here in North Carolina you had it would've had to get 900 hours of apprenticeship even after you've got your degree.

-- end and yet this state nutrition board sinking we're gonna monetary you're make sure you don't keep don't see this use stop because.

In theory they could put you -- And it's correct that they tell -- 120 days.

Right they tell me -- I could not give up personal advice or guidance on -- that he even though.

I am -- successfully yup I successfully self -- my diabetes but diet and exercise I couldn't tell others to do that.

And we Rainier advice -- Harvard nutritionist she said it was pretty reasonable but even if it was.

Stupid I mean I would think on the Internet people all is a lot of garbage in the Internet and it ought to be allowed to be there.

Absolutely I.

Is -- you can write a book about nutrition but if you want to give one on one advice to someone that's categorically forbidden.

And often this happens because the established businesses.

They mean well they want to protect their.

Industry have a good reputation but also they're trying to keep free competition.

Out.

Absolutely with the story that we see again and again -- occupational license for boards is that the industry itself is the one who's calling for regulation it's not that the public is afraid.

The people like -- -- -- dietary advice it's the dietitians.

Don't want Steve competing with them.

-- say North Carolina is about average in terms of unnecessary and intrusive regulations.

To become a -- a 180 dollars in fees 250.

Days of tests and classes two years to become a barber.

To become a landscape contractor three years.

Also a security alarm installer this is one reason unemployment stays high.

-- and you one of the most outrageous things about these -- is how much the requirements very between states.

There's over a dozen states that don't have any license -- requirements for nutritionists.

Is that are the people in those states that much more in danger when people here in North Carolina absolutely not.

Thank you Paul and Steve good luck she'll probably.

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