U.S. Senators Announce ‘No Internet Filter Left Behind’ Campaign
by John Paczkowski
Posted on July 26, 2007 at 3:09 PM PT
Is government ever a good substitute for parenting? If you’re at a loss for an answer to that question, consider some of the statements coming out of this week’s “Protecting Children on the Internet” hearing in Congress. In testimony given at the hearing, Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D., Hawaii) and Committee Vice Chairman Ted “Tubes” Stevens (R., Alaska) both argued that the Internet presents a threat to children–one best addressed with universal filtering and monitoring technologies.
“While filtering and monitoring technologies help parents to screen out offensive content and to monitor their child’s online activities, the use of these technologies is far from universal and may not be foolproof in keeping kids away from adult material,” Inouye said. “In that context, we must evaluate our current efforts to combat child pornography and consider what further measures may be needed to stop the spread of such illegal material over high-speed broadband connections.”
“Given the increasingly important role of the Internet in education and commerce, it differs from other media like TV and cable because parents cannot prevent their children from using the Internet altogether,” Stevens said. “The headlines continue to tell us of children who are victimized online. While the issues are difficult, I believe Congress has an important role to play to ensure that the protections available in other parts of our society find their way to the Internet.”
Follow John on Twitter | Follow AllThingsD on Twitter
Comments
It is good to see legislators looking at various ways to increase protection of children and families.
Something that I have heard about the seems like a positive, potential solution is the CP80 initiative.
Posted by Mark Mathson at July 26th, 2007 at 9:37 pm