Press Release
Contact: Jerry Berman, Executive Director
For Immediate Release
+1.202.637.9800

Washington DC, July 16, 1997 -- The Center for Democracy and Technology, an Internet civil liberties organization, today released a White Paper and a new Web Site documenting the viability and effectiveness of user empowerment tools to assist parents in preventing their children from accessing inappropriate material on the Internet.

CDT today also joined industry leaders, other public interest advocates, and Members of Congress in a meeting with President Clinton and Vice President Gore to explore a decentralized, Internet-savvy approach to encourage user empowerment over government censorship.

"User empowerment is the only effective and constitutional way to address parents concerns about their children's access to inappropriate material online," CDT Executive Director Jerry Berman said. "Unlike the 'V-Chip', the Internet today offers parents a wide variety of real and effective solutions to address concerns about their children's access to inappropriate material online. The Supreme Court has spoken clearly that government regulation of Internet content violates the First Amendment and will not work."

The new Web Site -- Resources for Internet Parents (http://www.netparents.org) -- is designed to provide resources for parents who want to protect their kids from inappropriate material online, links to kid-safe Internet Access Providers, kid-friendly online resources, and other valuable information. The site was developed by CDT in conjunction with other Internet advocacy groups and representatives from the Internet industry and public interest organizations.

The White Paper, entitled "Internet Family Choice - How Filtering Technology Enables Parents to Protect their Children Online," was prepared by CDT and other representatives of the Citizens Internet Empowerment Coalition (complete list below). The document outlines the availability and effectiveness of currently available User Empowerment Tools - including stand-alone blocking software, Internet rating systems, and other efforts.

"User empowerment tools are available today to 100% of Internet connected households," Berman said. "The wide variety of effective, easy-to-use empowerment tools, combined with vigorous enforcement of existing law, means that parents and kids can surf the Net consistent with their own family values", Berman added.

In addition to CDT, contributors to the White Paper include America Online, American Library Association, AT&T, Interactive Services Association, Media Access Project, Microsoft, Microsystems Software, People for the American Way, Recreational Software Advisory Council, Software Publishers Association, and Spyglass/Surfwatch.

Copies of the paper can be obtained online at http://www.cdt.org/speech/

The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) is a DC-based non-profit organization working to advance democratic values and constitutional civil liberties in new computer and communications media.

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Posted on July 16, 1997.