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              | Date: 1999-06-26 
 
 US-Zensurgesetz passiert Senatskomitee-.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.-
 
 q/depesche  99.6.26/2
 updating      99.6.20/1
 
 US-Zensurgesetz passiert Senatskomitee
 
 In ziemlich  verwässerter Form hat der Entwurf für ein
 Jugendschutzgesetz mit Filterzwang für Schulen und
 Bibliotheken das zuständige Komitee im US-Senat passiert.
 Das Center for Democracy and Technology setzt seine
 erfolgreiche "Call your Senator" Aktion bis zu einer
 Abstimmung im Senat fort. Die Chancen, den Entwurf
 vollständig zu Fall zu bringen, sind nicht schlecht.
 
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 1) MANDATORY FILTERING FOR SCHOOLS & LIBRARIES
 APPROVED BY SENATE COMMITTEE
 
 The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation
 Committee held a markup today to discuss the Childrens'
 Internet Protection Act (S.97) introduced by its chairman,
 John McCain (R-AZ), and ranking Democrat, Ernest Hollings
 (D-SC). The bill mandates that all schools and libraries
 receiving federal e-rate assistance select a technology for
 computers with Internet access that:
 
 * blocks or filters obscene material, * blocks or filters child
 pornography, and * may be -- but are not required to be --
 used by local authorities to block or filter materials deemed
 "inappropriate for minors."
 
 The schools and libraries must then enforce a policy that
 ensures that all minors use such technologies while on the
 Internet.
 
 This language is different from previous drafts of this bill in
 several respects:
 
 * It requires filtering or blocking only when minors are using
 the computer. * It narrows the federal filtering requirement
 from material deemed "harmful to minors" to obscene
 material or child pornography, * It broadens the optional
 filtering category to include a great deal of speech that is
 protected by the First Amendment.
 
 Senator McCain made it clear that such material determined
 to be "inappropriate for minors" may include sites promoting
 hate groups or other controversial material, although such
 material in each of these categories is protected speech
 under the First Amendment. The bill's only other amendment
 refined the time period available to schools and libraries to
 come into compliance with new law, if passed.
 
 Senator John Kerry (D-MA) voiced concerns about the bill,
 drawing attention to the way in which it infringes on the rights
 of communities to self-determination regarding their own
 access to the Internet and that of their children. However, the
 Committee as a whole approved the bill by voice vote. A floor
 vote has not yet been scheduled.
 
 For more information regarding S.97 and the debate
 surrounding free speech on the net, visit CDT's Free Speech
 page at
 http://www.cdt.org/speech/
 
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 relayed by Ari Schwartz ari@cdt.org
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 edited by
 published on: 1999-06-26
 comments to office@quintessenz.at
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