White House statement on CDA decision (fwd)

[Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 14:21:06 -0700 (PDT)
From: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>
To: fight-censorship-announce@vorlon.mit.edu
Subject: White House statement on CDA decision



                            THE WHITE HOUSE

                           Office of the Press Secretary

                                 June 26, 1996

                     STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

Today, the Supreme Court ruled that portions of the Communications Decency
Act addressing indecency are not constitutional. We will study its opinion
closely. 

The administration remains firmly committed to the provisions -- both in
the CDA and elsewhere in the criminal code -- that prohibit the
transmission of obscenity over the Internet and via other media.
Similarly, we remain committed to vigorous enforcement of federal
prohibitions against transmission of child pornography over the Internet,
and another prohibition that makes criminal the use of the Internet by
pedophiles to entice children to engage in sexual activity. 

The Internet is an incredibly powerful medium for freedom of speech and
freedom of expression that should be protected. It is the biggest change
in human communications since the printing press, and is being used to
educate our children, promote electronic commerce, provide valuable health
care information, and allow citizens to keep in touch with their
government. But there is material on the Internet that is clearly
inappropriate for children. As a parent, I understand the concerns that
parents have about their children accessing inappropriate material. 

If we are to make the Internet a powerful resource for learning, we must
give parents and teachers the tools they need to make the Internet safe
for children. 

Therefore, in the coming days, I will convene industry leaders and groups
representing teachers, parents and librarians. We can and must develop a
solution for the Internet that is as powerful for the computer as the
v-chip will be for the television, and that protects children in ways that
are consistent with America's free speech values. With the right
technology and rating systems - we can help ensure that our children don't
end up in the red light districts of cyberspace.