IP: Clinton Adviser Outlines Government's Reduced Role In Net

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

Clinton Adviser Outlines Government's Reduced Role In Net Regulation
(05/12/98; 1:04 p.m. ET)
By John Gartner, TechWeb


WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Ira Magaziner, senior adviser to the president for
policy development, outlined his vision of the U.S. government's minimal
role in regulating the Internet here Monday, saying the medium's flexible
technology and business conditions obviate the need for the regulation
required in other media.


"Unlike the telephone and broadcast mediums, there is unlimited bandwidth
and competition, and choice will drive the market" Magaziner said.


The half-hour speech to the Association for Computing Machinery Policy 98
crowd of 200 researchers and educators pointed to a future where
individuals and industry, not the U.S. government, would be made
responsible for Internet privacy.


The U.S. government recently asked that Internet executives devise a
privacy code of conduct. Websites could then display a seal indicating
compliance with the privacy standard, and the government would empower the
Federal Trade Commission or Justice Department to enforce the use of the seal.


Instead of government censorship of the Internet, Magaziner proposed that
individuals should decide what content they view. He cited filtering
software, available through ISPs or Web browsers, can be used for
censorship. In recognition of the Internet's global and ever-growing
content, Magaziner said, "We don't want to give people the impression that
a law can protect them, because it can't."


Magaziner outlined the United States' five policy principles on the Internet:


$B!&(J Standards should be privately, not government, driven;
$B!&(J Allow a market-driven environment;
$B!&(J Minimal government intervention;
$B!&(J Respect the nature of the medium in all decisions; and
$B!&(J View the Internet as a global arena requiring global agreements.


Clinton's top technology aide said the government was learning from its
mistakes. The Communications Decency Act, which the administration backed
in court and has since been ruled unconstitutional, as well as inconsistent
encryption policy were both referred to as previous errors of policy.


"We can't censor the Internet because it is neither wise nor possible,"
said Magaziner.


Magaziner also reiterated on several occasions how important IT was to U.S.
economic growth. Government statistics indicate one-third of the overall
real growth in the United States was attributed to IT, and IT will remain
as the "engine of continued economic growth" for decades to come.


Magaziner said this growth would not continue if employers could not find
enough IT professionals. He said, "Tens of millions of service and
middlemen jobs would be lost and replaced with technology jobs" as long as
the proper training was provided.