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The Center for Democracy and Technology /____/ Volume 3, Number 10
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A briefing on public policy issues affecting civil liberties online
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CDT POLICY POST Volume 3, Number 10 July 16, 1997
CONTENTS: (1) President Endorses User Empowerment Approach
for Internet Content
(2) A Note about "Censorware"
(3) How to Subscribe/Unsubscribe
(4) About CDT, contacting us
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(1) PRESIDENT ENDORSES USER EMPOWERMENT APPROACH FOR INTERNET CONTENT
In a meeting with public interest advocates and industry representatives
today, President Clinton and Vice President Gore said that user control, as
opposed to CDA-style content regulations, is the best way to help parents
prevent their kids from accessing inappropriate material on the Internet.
The President, noting that the meeting showed "how to pave the way to a
family friendly Internet without paving over the constitutional guarantees
to free speech and free expression," also announced a continuing effort to
educate the public about the availability of user empowerment technology.
In conjunction with the White House event, the Center for Democracy and
Technology and an ad hoc group of industry and consumer/public interest
groups released a White Paper documenting the availability and
effectiveness of user empowerment tools for the Internet. CDT and the
Voters Telecommunications Watch also unveiled Netparents.org, a new web
site designed to provide resources for Internet parents. (URL's Below)
Among other things, the meeting highlighted the advantages of user
empowerment over government content regulations:
* USER EMPOWERMENT DOES NOT INFRINGE ON CONSTITUTIONAL FREEDOM OF
EXPRESSION: Adults have a constitutional right to speak and publish
in some ways that are nevertheless considered inappropriate for
children. Since parental empowerment tools limit that which is
available to children at the receiving end, as opposed to what can be
published by speakers, freedom of expression is preserved for adults
while parents are able to shield their children from inappropriate
material.
* THIS IS NOT THE 'V-CHIP': The President did not call legislation or a
single 'V-Chip' style Internet rating system or standard. Instead,
he called on the industry and the Internet community to continue to
develop products and services to assist parents, and stressed the
importance of multiple, independent rating systems and choices for
users.
* USER EMPOWERMENT TOOLS ARE 100% AVAILABLE TODAY TO EVERY INTERNET
CONNECTED HOUSEHOLD: Users and parents have a variety of effective,
easy to use options available today to control their children's access
to inappropriate material online based on their own family values.
* USER EMPOWERMENT TOOLS ARE EASY-TO-USE AND EFFECTIVE: Blocking and
filtering technologies are far more effective and far more flexible
than any law. The tools are designed to be easy to use for parents
who may not be as computer savvy as their kids.
* PARENTS MUST PLAY A ROLE: Technology is only part of the solution to
parents concerns. Parents must also learn how to use the available
technology and impart their own values.
CDT is pleased that the President and Vice President have endorsed the user
empowerment approach and we look forward to working with the
Administration, the computer and communications industries, public interest
and family groups, Internet users, and Congress towards solutions which
preserve the free flow of information and constitutional guarantees of free
expression online, while at the same time assuring that concerned have
access to the tools they need.
Links:
* A copy of the White Paper, along with other information, is available
online at http://www.cdt.org/speech/
* Please also check out 'Resources for Internet Parents' at
http://www.netparents.org/
________________________________________________________________________
(2) A NOTE ABOUT "CENSORWARE"
Some have already criticized the President for promoting what they call
"censorware," and indirectly limiting First Amendment rights. CDT believes
that this characterization fundamentally misunderstands the evil of
government censorship.
Censorship is when the government seeks to take control over what citizens
can see, hear, say, and write. The use of blocking and filtering software,
on the other hand, enables users to choose what material comes into their
homes and what stays out. This choice is, and must remain, in the hands of
individual parents based on their own tastes values.
We do believe that the selection among different filtering products and
services is an important choice which requires well-informed parents. It
is vital that families using filtering software are aware of the criteria
based on which information is excluded or included. We will continue to
work to explore means of helping parents to make informed choices among the
variety of products available.
In the last two years, over ten different filtering software products have
been developed, representing a broad diversity of values. And, as the PICS
labeling platform becomes more widely deployed on web browsers, parents
will be able to take advantage of the growing number of PICS-based rating
services if they choose to do so.
We believe that the underlying approach of user control is fully consistent
with core First Amendment principles, including freedom of choice. At the
same time, we must remain vigilant to ensure that PICS and other user-based
solutions are developed and implemented in ways that protect the free flow
of information online.
___________________________________________________________________________
(3) SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
Be sure you are up to date on the latest public policy issues affecting
civil liberties online and how they will affect you! Subscribe to the CDT
Policy Post news distribution list. CDT Policy Posts, the regular news
publication of the Center For Democracy and Technology, are received by
more than 13,000 Internet users, industry leaders, policy makers and
activists, and have become the leading source for information about
critical free speech and privacy issues affecting the Internet and other
interactive communications media.
To subscribe to CDT's Policy Post list, send mail to
policy-posts-request@cdt.org
with a subject:
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If you ever wish to remove yourself from the list, send mail to the
above address with a subject of:
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________________________________________________________________________
(4) ABOUT THE CENTER FOR DEMOCRACY AND TECHNOLOGY/CONTACTING US
The Center for Democracy and Technology is a non-profit public interest
organization based in Washington, DC. The Center's mission is to develop
and advocate public policies that advance democratic values and
constitutional civil liberties in new computer and communications
technologies.
Contacting us:
General information: info@cdt.org
World Wide Web: URL:http://www.cdt.org/
FTP URL:ftp://ftp.cdt.org/pub/cdt/
Snail Mail: The Center for Democracy and Technology
1634 Eye Street NW * Suite 1100 * Washington, DC 20006
(v) +1.202.637.9800 * (f) +1.202.637.0968
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End Policy Post 3.10 07/16/97
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