2 Personal Opinions

#1 Write 4 sentences as to how you feel: I feel that some regulations must be enforced and required to protect family values. Furthermore, I believe that government and ISP companies should collaborate to determine what restrictions should be imposed.

The USA Government has enacted two Federal laws intended to censor offensive online content. Neither of these laws are in force as at March 2002. The first law (the CDA) was struck down by the USA Supreme Court on First Amendment grounds. The second law (the COPA), which is more narrowly focussed and covers only communications that are made for commercial purposes on the World Wide Web, is the subject of a Court injunction (also on First Amendment grounds) preventing its enforcement pending a decision of the Supreme Court. The Court decision is expected to be handed down in the latter part of 2002.

Since 1996, four U.S. states, New York, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia have passed Internet censorship legislation restricting/banning online distribution of material deemed "harmful to minors". These laws have been struck down on Constitutional grounds.

#2 Do you agree or how you feel, 4 sentences: I am not favorable for all the content on the internet. However, I do not believe that censorship for the entire internet is not feasible. First, as the internet is worldwide, who be responsible for patrolling it? Two, what party/parties is fit to deem what is appropriate or inappropriate for society as a whole? Regardless if there was such a party, any attempt to categorize something as inappropriate, would only result in heated and extremely lengthy court battles.

While researching this issue, I came across CIPA (Children's Internet Protection Act). To quickly summarize this act, Libraries and Schools are required to have certain filters in place on the computers that will be used by minors, in order to receive special Federal funding/rates.

I believe censorship for minors is a necessity. Adults however, need to take responsibility for their own actions. Though, I believe censorship should also be required for sexual offenders. How that would be possible, I don't know, but I still think it should be done.