An Alternative to The Child On-Line Protection Act?
An "Internet Expert" Weighs In
Harvard Professor and "Microsoft Expert" Lawrence Lessig Discovers Web Browsers
December 10, 1999
The Standard, the very influential on-line Internet oriented version of The Industry Standard has published an article this week by Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig. It was Professor Lessig who was appointed last year to be an "expert advisor" in the area of web browsers by the judge in the Microsoft Antitrust case. His appointment was very controversial and it was later overturned by a court of appeals.
In an article just published, G-Rated Browsers, Lessig argues that the latest operating system from Apple, OS 9, has the potential to solve the problem of protecting children from Internet pornography, while avoiding the restrictions on free speech caused by the Children's On-Line Protection Act. COPA has already been struck down by a federal court in Philadelphia and is currently being reviewed on appeal by the Third Circuit Court.
Lessig's position has been that criminal or regulatory law, with all it's flaws, is still superior in protecting children when compared to child protection software like Surf Watch. He feels that Surf Watch filters out too much material, and, therefore, is to restrictive of free speech.
A number of On-Line Free Speech protection groups, most notably PEACEFIRE - Youth Alliance Against Internet Censorship, agree with his position. The WIZARD, fkap disagrees, for reasons that become more and more obvious as you study the issue.
Apple's new OS 9 contains a way to identify different users and could be modified to identify a user as a child. When the child signs on, the preferences and limitations pre-set for that child are run within the framework of the OS.
Lessig sees this as somehow being dramatically different from Internet Filtering Software. But the difference is that Lessig will back up his filtering with Federal Laws identifying "adult sites," as opposed to the passive filtering done by the current software.
Lessig believes that since the Apple operating system sends data to the web servers when connecting to the Net, the browser could easily identify the user as a child. Then the servers would consult the Federal Government Laws and submit only child friendly material, a concept Lessig calls "gSurfing."
Here is where The WIZARD sees the Professor as stumbling dangerously off-track. Lessig wants laws passed requiring Webmasters to set their servers to limit the content provided to surfers who were "gSurfing." This is really horrific censorship. It makes COPA, which only requires self imposed "adult registration," seem like a dream solution.
Lessig likes it because it allows differentiation between users - the adult has a different sign-on than a child. Yah right... and the child will never get his daddy's sign on. Lessig probably believes the sign-ons will be safely locked in the gun cabinet with the pistols and rifles.
Of course the "so-called Liberals" would ban all guns. Then, perhaps they would like to ban all adult passwords. But, whatever we do, let's not even consider the concept of parental responsibility.
Most importantly, why hasn't the Harvard Professor ever tried Child Protection Software. It, too, can be tailored to the ages of the different user. It, too, can be turned on and off. BUT IT DOES NOT REQUIRE CONGRESS TO PASS CENSORSHIP LAWS.
