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Essay Subject: Examines attempts to censor online pornography. Pros & cons, effectiveness, software, role of parents, regulation, defining porno.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Examines attempts to censor online pornography. Pros & cons, effectiveness, software, role of parents, regulation, defining porno. Paper Introduction: The Internet has enjoyed explosive growth in recent years, as people worldwide go online in search of information, entertainment, and commerce. No business has benefited more from the online craze than purveyors of pornography. The anonymity of using the Internet has made it the medium of choice for consumers of adult material. The pervasiveness of pornography in cyberspace has prompted many American lawmakers to call for limitations or even an outright ban of such material. In this paper, I will argue that any attempts to ban pornography on the Internet are unwise, unworkable, and unconstitutional. Those who would censor pornography on the Internet cite several reasons. First and foremost, they want to protect children, who will be harmed by continued exposure to pornography at a young age. Proponents of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Restrictions threaten that expansion. Do they let their childrenventure into the online world, or do they deny them that right and riskletting them fall behind in their educational experiences? Nor is the Internet scarce; on the contrary,it is expanding by leaps and bounds. Blocking devices (V-chips) fortelevisions are available, yet few are purchased. This is similar to a city restrictingadult establishments to particular areas, a practice that the U.S. Anindividual has to dial up a phone number, sign in, and then search for theinformation he or she wants. Third, the government cannot ban pornography on theInternet because, according to the First Amendment, it cannot banpornography, period. Such a system also would slow the growth of the Internet. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU),which successfully sued to overturn the CDA, represented (among others) theoperators of web sites on AIDS and prison conditions. In cyberspace, you cannot seewhat you are not looking for, so people will not look at adult sites unlessthey want to. How were theyto do this? Children cansteal their parents' credit card numbers, or if children really are thattechnically proficient, then bypassing such a requirement would be noproblem. Oneperson's pornography is another's art. Any definition of pornography will be unacceptable. Ultimately, the most powerful argument against banning pornography,both on the Internet and elsewhere, is the problem of definition. As a result, they may be unable toform normal, healthy relationships as adults (Enough Is Enough 6). In the eyes of some, yes. Second, the age-old problem of definingpornography. In addition, adult businessesoften attract trouble (so-called secondary effects). They supportedthe CDA, which threatened criminal prosecution of anyone who conveyed tominors or made available to minors any "indecent" or "patently offensive"material on the Internet. If it extendsbeyond that parameter, it will be too broad. Does that transform thefilm into a political statement? Supp. It isunderstandable that people do not want adult businesses in residentialareas. However, there are manyfree adult sites on the Internet. Supp. Thus, adult web site operators would be forcedto obtain verification of legal age before permitting entry. Asimple locked cabinet can prevent children from accessing the familycomputer when they are unsupervised. Butwhat if an adult filmmaker makes a movie depicting prison rape solely totitillate. This issue parallels the debatesabout too much sex and violence on television. Web site operators couldbecome so skittish that every web site would require age verification toenter. The government started the Internet, but cyberspace is a worldall its own. Those who would censor pornography on the Internet cite severalreasons. So, the anti-pornography forces turned to regulation. If it only covershardcore sexual activity, that will be too narrow for many. What isindecent? This paints a much more organized picture of the Internet thanactually exists. ACLU 929 F. Those web sitesincluded graphic descriptions of prison rape and safe sexual practices toavoid transmission of disease (ACLU 4). Close down a web site here and it will pop up overthere, or even outside the country. The Internet is chaotic, and that is one of itsstrengths. 2329 (1997). This presents parents with a quandary. Proponents ofthe Communications Decency Act (CDA), a law that regulated indecentmaterial on the Internet but which the Supreme Court invalidated in 1997,argued that no parent, even the most liberal parent, wants their childexposed to this material at too young of an age. According to some, the answer is to ban pornography outright on theInternet. They lack the funds and thepersonnel to install and operate age-verification systems. The anonymity of using the Internet has made it the medium ofchoice for consumers of adult material. Orthe child could go to the library, where the computers must be available toall (Enough Is Enough 11-12). The censors argue that a ban on Internet pornography is the onlyeffective means to keep children from downloading and viewing sexuallyexplicit photographs. That argument can be dismissed quickly. 824 (1996), 117 S.Ct. Moreover, even if blocking software proved feasible, a childdetermined to view pornography could go elsewhere. Clearly, that type of speech falls under the First Amendmentbecause it is pure political speech about a topic of societal concern. 2329 (1997).Enough Is Enough, et al. Thosechildren who cannot get around the blocking software still can accesspornographic material because site managers change their Internet addressconstantly so as to evade the reach of such software (Enough Is Enough 11). Pornography? First, it is nottechnically feasible. The U.S. SupremeCourt has upheld. Talk about a false sense ofsecurity for the parents. The fallacy in that supposition is apparent immediately. Their children need to use theInternet because the online world offers vast educational benefits. In addition, the analogy to zoning laws is inappropriate. They could take the credit card numberto allow entry, and then never charge it. The Internet has enjoyed explosive growth in recent years, as peopleworldwide go online in search of information, entertainment, and commerce.No business has benefited more from the online craze than purveyors ofpornography. The individual has ultimate say in the development ofcyberspace. The Internet's growth might slow to a crawl. Nonetheless, let us assume for argument's sake that we universallyagreed that pornography is bad and should be banned. Is that pornographic? According to this view, theCDA was blocking off parts of the Internet, limiting adult material to onesection where only adults could go. Anti-pornography activists make another incorrect analogy when theycompare the Internet to television or radio. Moreover, the harmful effects ofpornography have not been proven. The Internet, however, is neither limited nor involuntary. In theeyes of others, art. I agree that children should not be exposed to pornographic material.Sexual images are simply too provocative and confusing for a child, andthey impair the natural process of development. What is the best way to preventchildren from accessing pornographic images on the Internet withoutinfringing on the rights of adults to access those materials? Amici Curiae Brief, Reno v. The government assumed that they would install software thatrequired a credit card number for entry, assuming that only someone oflegal age would have a credit card. ACLU 929 F. What works and what fails in this ephemeral is determined byindividual choice. Appellees' Brief, Reno v. Yetexposure to the Internet, whether at home or at school or at the library,poses unacceptable risks to their children. The pervasiveness of pornographyin cyberspace has prompted many American lawmakers to call for limitationsor even an outright ban of such material. A child could go to afriend's house, where the parents have not installed blocking software. (Curious that the anti-pornography forces put so much faith inthis software when they have so little faith in the blocking software.)The government assumed that parents would discover their credit card isbeing used improperly when their bill arrives. We allagree that the Internet offers enormous benefits, with even more on theway. If so, they would likely have to shut down theirweb pages, since they are volunteer groups. 824 (1996), 117 S.Ct. First and foremost, they want to protect children, who will beharmed by continued exposure to pornography at a young age. Many individuals might simply give up, either because of theinconvenience of inputting all of that information at every web site orbecause they do not want to send their personal information intocyberspace. By contrast, some studies have suggestedthat pornography may serve as a release. In bothinstances, the child (or an adult) was not seeking the indecent material. The web sites may become harder tofind but they will still exist. Despite these obvious flaws, supporters of the CDA tried to salvagethe law by claiming it was a zoning ordinance. Absent restrictions, a child could walkinto a room and hear profanity used by a radio announcer, or a child couldchannel surf and come across indecent material on television. They cannot watch theirchildren at all times of the day or night. Software that blocks access to adult sites is flawed because many childrenare technically advanced enough to get around the blocking software. No matter how we definepornography, we risk capturing useful speech under the umbrella, a risk theauthors of the First Amendment were not willing to take. In addition, the issue of definition crops up again. Supreme Court hasheld that the government may regulate speech on television and radio to agreater extent because those media have unique characteristics. Even if the local residents do not frequent such establishments,they still have to look at the business everyday, no doubt adorned withprovocative advertising and gaudy lights. The Internet poses no such concerns. Children are too young tounderstand such material, and overexposure may condition them to associateexplicit photographs with stimulation. In this paper, I will argue thatany attempts to ban pornography on the Internet are unwise, unworkable, andunconstitutional. In other words, the Internet is the ultimate democracy. Christian groups object tothat material entirely, while free-speech advocates wonder why parentssimply do not exercise more control. What if the filmmaker includes a note atthe end calling for changes in the prison system. The signals go through the walls ofhomes and often are uninvited, so the Court rationalized the government hadthe power to regulate those media. These sites do not bring down the neighborhood, either.Geocities, a company that hosts Internet pages, does not suffer ill effectsbecause some of those pages contain adult material. Works CitedAmerican Civil Liberties Union. Aredepictions of prison rape by a group trying to improve prison conditionspornographic? Better options abound for parents who want to prevent their childrenfrom accessing pornography. Thosetraits are scarcity (the broadcast spectrum is limited) and the ofteninvoluntary consumption of speech. Patently offensive? Some Internet providers (such as AOL) offerextensive features that prevent children from accessing adult pages. The Internet is more akin to booksand magazines, which are subject to very little regulation. Would those site operators have toobtain age verification? In their view, children are much more technicallyadvanced than their parents and spend most of their free time unsupervised. Then what? (However, I find many ofthe harms cited by anti-pornography forces-basically, every evil in theworld today is caused by pornography-to be dubious at best.) Since almosteverybody agrees that children should not be looking at adult material, theissue becomes one of means, not ends. For example, the University of California at Riverside'sphotographic museum put nude photos by famous photographers on its web siteto publicize an exhibit. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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