Censorship and the Internet
...pinions can be accessed. But, will these regulations cause more controversy where religious groups, and other organizations demand only certain material to be attainable? Or do these regulations breach our First Amendment rights, freedom of speech (Atkinson 2)? The U.S. Congress has already begun to intervene regarding this controversy. In 1996, Congress passed the Communications Decency Act which bans the communication of obscene or indecent material via the internet to anyone under 18 years of age. It would make it a felony, punishable by five years and a $250,000 fine if anyone breaks the Act (Esposito and Witmeyer 1). However, this Act has been legally challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union and other organizations and is still pending in court. In 1998, the U.S. subcommittee passed the Child On-Line Protection Act that amends the Communication Act of 1934 and requires those engaged in transferring or selling information by means of the Internet to restrict access to minors (Claire’s Corner). Also in 1998, two other Internet Censorship bills were passed by the U.S. Senate that included a filtering or blocking matter that would regulate Internet information in school and library computers, and would prohibit commercial distribution on the Internet that is harmful to minors. In response to the growing number of government regulations, many of those who have their own websites have engaged in the Blue-Ribbon Campaign. Those who participate in the program adorn an image of a blue ribbon on their site and believe that by regulating the Internet their First Amendment rights are violated. So, how do we reach a middle ground of this Internet controversy? We cannot ignore the fact that children are exposed to adult issues on the Internet, nor can we have our Freedom of Speech rights broken. The best possible solution is the ratings system. Like movies, Internet sites would be rated for their language, violence and nudity content. At home, school districts and other places where children have the ability to use the Web; parents, and instructors will have the option of using the ratings...