Smut Vs. Safety
CBS Radio News Tech Analyst Larry Magid has some advice for Congress about protecting kids online.
On Thursday May 24, I'll be on Capitol Hill talking about Internet safety before some members of Congress and staff. The event is sponsored by the Congressional Internet Caucus, a bipartisan group of about 170 members of the House and Senate who -- in some cases -- actually do have a clue as to how the federal government can help rather than hinder families' use of the Internet. Unfortunately, many members of Congress are still stuck in the 20th century when it comes to the 'Net.
I normally don't get nervous when I do public speaking, but considering the august nature of this group, I thought it might be good to rehearse here. That way, you can send me suggestions before I deliver the talk.
I'm tempted to start out by reciting a verse from Bob Dylan's 1964 song, "The Times They Are A-Changin'". "Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call. Don't stand in the doorway, don't block up the hall." Dylan, of course, was talking about the social and political upheaval of the '60s, but it holds up for today. Times really are a-changin' and old paradigms don't always work.
I'll start by acknowledging that I appreciate the motivation behind Congress' well-intentioned efforts to help protect kids. And then I'll tell them why I think they're mostly going about it the wrong way. Congress seems to be preoccupied with keeping children away from smut -- certainly a worthy goal. But by fixating on this one issue, they are taking attention away from more serious dangers. While the idea of kids gaining access to pornography on the 'Net makes us all a bit squeamish, it's not the most serious online threat facing our kids.
I'm far more concerned with children being put in harm's way from online predators and unscrupulous marketers than I am about their viewing dirty pictures. While I agree that porn is bad for kids, I'm more concerned that our children learn to protect their personal information and privacy. When it comes to serious online threats to children, it's not so much what they see, but what they say.
As I review the history of congressional action to protect kids, I can think of three misguided bills and one good one. The misguided ones include the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which was shot down by the U.S. Supreme Court two years later after a challenge from the ACLU and other groups. The second is the Children's Online Protection Act of 1998 which was only partially upheld by a Supreme Court ruling earlier this week and referred back to a lower court for further review. And the third is the Children's Internet Protection Act that requires schools and libraries to install Internet filtering as a condition of federal funding.
The bill I like is the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act that restricts how commercial Web sites can collect personally identifiable information from children under 13.
I plan to remind our leaders that, as well meaning as these laws may be, they can't really keep children away from porn. Even if Congress were to actually approve an anti-porn law that could pass constitutional muster, such a law is likely to have no real effect. There will always be individuals and businesses that skirt the law or -- easier still -- operate from outside our borders. Today's kids will continue to have access to Internet porn, regardless of what Congress does.
Internet filters, as imperfect as they are, might cut down on children's ability to view porn, but the use of such technology should be at the discretion of parents or, at the very least, local school and library authorities, not federal regulators.
The answer to protecting kids in today's online world lies with two words that are very familiar to politicians: "family values." Instilling your children with values and common sense is your best insurance that they will make the right decisions. Of course, not all families have the same values, which is where I part company with some of the politicians who like to use those words. Still, I think we all agree that when it comes to our children, families can be far more powerful than governments.
It's up to parents -- not the federal government -- to monitor small children on the Net and, by being close to your kids as they grow up, you'll instill them with the values and judgment that will help them regulate themselves as they get older.
Still, we could use some help. Congress can do its part by encouraging and funding continued Internet education, helping parents and kids learn to protect themselves and passing laws that help parents and law enforcement to protect kids from predators.
A syndicated technology columnist for nearly two decades, Larry Magid serves as on air Technology Analyst for CBS Radio News. His technology reports can be heard several times a week on the CBS Radio Network. Magid is the author of several books including "The Little PC Book."
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By Larry Magid