FC: COPA Commission spinning over Internet filtering

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

[Warren Publishing publishes Communications Daily, well read in DC. Also 
see: http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2642392,00.html --Declan]

*********

From: "Samberg-Champion, Sasha" <schampion () warren-news com>
To: "'declan () well com'" <declan () well com>
Subject: COPA Commission spinning
Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2000 09:50:35 -0400

Declan --

I'm generally no fan of Internet filtering requirements, but I'm tired of
the spinning certain members of the COPA Commission have been doing this
week.  Every story I've seen has said the Commission is at odds with the
Labor-HHS measure, when in fact the report takes no position on mandatory
filtering and filtering proponents say it even helps their case.  Of course
it's the job of people like Alan Davidson to interpret the report that way,
but do journalists have to lap it up uncritically?

-- Sasha


        White House Seen Ready to Fight Filtering Requirements

        There still could be a fight over the filtering requirement for
schools and libraries getting federal technology money that's embedded in
the Labor-HHS spending bill (HR-4577), despite the contention by some
advocates that inclusion was a done deal (WID Oct 16 p1).  Proponents and
foes alike are gearing up for what's expected to be a last-min. push from
the White House to delete it, sources told us.  Complicating matters, the
release of the COPA Commission report on filtering technologies provided new
opportunity for spin from both sides.

        "We fully expect at some point the White House behind the scenes,
under the radar screen, to attempt to block this," said David Crane of the
Senate Commerce Committee, which is chaired by filtering advocate Sen.
McCain (R-Ariz.).  "We've gotten word from budget negotiators that you
better get ready, get supporting information.  They're getting rumbles it's
going to come."  The White House at the behest of Vice President Gore has
fought against past filtering measures, such as the Child Online Protection
Act (COPA) and the Communications Decency Act.  Gore pointedly didn't call
for filters in a recent debate, whereas Tex. Gov. George Bush (R) did (WID
Oct 19 p2).

        Industry and civil liberty groups have made a last-ditch effort to
delete the proposal.  There's no question that the White House opposes the
item -- it said so in a statement of objections to the Labor-HHS bill -- but
opponents noted that, as with other items in appropriations bills, the
question would be how strongly the Administration felt about it compared
with other issues such as education funding.  A vote now is expected next
week.

        Both sides claimed their position has been bolstered by the COPA
Commission report.  "They've established Internet filtering is an effective
tool to protect children from exposure to inappropriate content," Crane
said.  "That flies in the face of one of the completely false claims that
the ACLU makes, that Internet filtering and blocking software isn't
accurate... That's a tired, 6-year-old claim."  Center for Democracy &
Technology counsel Alan Davidson emphasized instead that the Commission
didn't recommend filtering mandates:  "They came up with a pretty
comprehensive set of recommendations.  Mandatory filtering was not part of
that set."

        In truth, the Commission neither advocated nor opposed mandatory
filtering.  Chmn. Don Telage of Network Solutions said the panel didn't have
the time or resources to give an absolute answer on the issue, but rather
chose to produce a "very technical" report on various options available for
protecting children from inappropriate content.  He lamented the spinning
that's gone on this week by both sides and the reduction of a long,
complicated report in news stories into a focus on the Labor-HHS bill, but
said "I can't stop that." -- {{Sasha Samberg-Champion}} 




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