IP: Gore on kids; Internet surveillance; more on FCC & filters

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

> From: Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>
>
> http://www.wired.com/news/news/politics/story/19505.html
>
>                      Click Here for Safe Surfing
>                      by Declan McCullagh 
>
>                      3:00 a.m.  5.May.99.PDT
>                      WASHINGTON -- It didn't take
>                      Washington politicians very long to
>                      respond to reports that the Littleton,
>                      Colorado, killers had their own Web sites.
>                      Last week top Justice Department official
>                      Eric Holder said he'd like to see new
>                      "regulations" controlling how Americans
>                      use the Internet, and President Clinton
>                      warned of its dangers. 
>
>                      On Wednesday, Vice President Gore will
>                      unveil the White House's latest response
>                      to the shooting. 
>                      [...snip...]
>
>
> http://www.wired.com/news/news/politics/story/19504.html
>
>                      But one document distributed at the
>                      event worries privacy advocates. It says
>                      the money for SEC enforcement "will
>                      specifically help the commission increase
>                      Internet surveillance [and] augment
>                      training for law enforcement." 
>
>
> Date: Tue, 4 May 1999 20:56:17 -0400
> To: "Colin A. Reed" <aleph () alumni caltech edu>, Declan McCullagh
> <declan () well com>
> From: Marc Rotenberg <rotenberg () epic org> 
>
> I was there and I questioned Kennard after he spoke.
>
> There is no doubt that the FCC Commissioner is actively promoting
> filters. He began his comments on the topic by noting that
> the Annenberg report released today at the National Press Club
> found that only a 1/3 of parents were using filters. Kennard said
> that the government should work to ensure that many more parents are
> using filters. He said that the FCC is launching a web site to
> provide parents with information about using filters. He also said
> that he would support filters as a condition for e-rate funding for
> schools and libraries.
>
> During the Q&A, I said to Kennard that EPIC and many other
> organizations had found loads of problems with filters. They
> are overinclusive. They are underinclusive. They are an
> imperfect solution. I suggested that at the very least the
> FCC could provide links to the various reports that show
> the problems with filters so that parents and others could be
> more fully informed about the consequences of using these
> techniques. Kennard said that this was a  "good suggestion" and
> he would consider it.
>
> Incidentally, ALA President Ann Symons gave a very good talk
> at lunch. She said that the ALA opposes the use of filters
> that block access to constitutionally protected speech. (Her
> own library contains 60 terminals without filters. Support
> the ALA.)
>
> I spoke at the end of the day and suggested for the next
> study on what parents are afraid of that the Annenberg
> Center ask parents to rate the following items in terms
> of how dangerous they are to their children:
>
>   - Books
>   - Computer terminals with Internet access
>   - Bicycles
>   - Cars
>   - Motorcycles
>   - Household cleaning fluids
>   - Alcohol
>   - Tobacco
>   - Handguns
>
> I also suggested that they ask these same parents where
> their children would be most safe:
>
>   - Behind a computer keyboard
>   - Behind the steering wheel of a car
>   - In a bar
>   - At a rock concert
>   - At a place unknown
>
> More information at the Internet Free Expression Alliance
> site (www.ifea.net).
>
> Marc Rotenberg
> EPIC.
>
>
>
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