Internet technology can empower parents

Aspen, Colo. -- Each summer in August, cyberspace gurus gather in this four-season Colorado mountain town for spirited discussions of the cyber revolution and how new cyber technologies are shaping the future.

First, many seemed to agree that parents should be able to shield their children from exposure to indecent material. But there is a catch: Some parents may take a narrow view of what is indecent; others will take a broader view. That's one reason a blanket, legislated definition of
indecency is impossible. But nearly everyone can agree that parents should be able to decide what their children see.

Second, there is deep disagreement about strategies of protection. Some want the government to do it -- but that smacks of censorship that is likely to be stopped by First Amendment free speech protections. Others want the government to require those who produce or have control over the content of material on the Internet, material that might be indecent, to make a good faith effort to restrict access by minors. This was the approach of the CDA, but it has already been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Another "group" takes an "anything goes" approach to what can go out over
the Internet, but they emphasize different issues, including:

Practicality: That it is not feasible to control Internet content at the source. Example: Spyglass software executive Jay Friedland said more than 40,000 objectionable sites his company permits parents to block out using new parent-controlled "blocking" software are located overseas, including 4,000 in Japan. How can US legislation protect children when so much that is objectionable comes from outside the U.S., where our laws don't count?

Technology: That rapid progress in applying "blocking" technologies gives parents the power to do what the First Amendment will not let government do.

Responsibility: That it's the responsibility of the parent, not the state, to protect their children.

When all is said and done, however, many believe the child can only be shielded by core values and virtues and principles of right and wrong that he or she has been taught. The answer, therefore, is family, church and school -- and without that shield, nothing can fortify them, no matter how many laws or how much blocking software.

The civilized and informative dialogue yielded at least three lessons: First, technology itself can provide an answer to many problems created by technology. Second, new telecomputing technologies often favor decentralized solutions that empower people, not institutions. Third, political leaders often err when they rush in to "solve" a problem with government mandates. Jack Valenti reminded those assembled of the wisdom of former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Sam Rayburn, who often said to those with power: "Never forget the three most important words in the English language: 'Wait a minute.' "