The laws that keep harmful materials from children offline are sufficient to police the Internet, the Virginia Governor's Commission on Information Technology concluded December 2. A 36-member group of key technology players from the private and public sectors, the commission unveiled the Legislative Framework for the Virginia Internet Policy Act, which lawmakers may begin considering in January.
Focused on making Virginia an economically competitive location for high-tech firms, the commission also examined whether to regulate digital content, underscoring "the fundamental and transcendent importance of protecting free speech." Nonetheless, the group recommended the creation of felonies for posting a child's contact information on a pornographic site or disseminating explicit materials for the purpose of engaging a youngster in a sex act.
The report also called on Internet service providers to offer "one click away access" to filters and the establishment of acceptable use policies for schools and libraries--actions the Loudoun County Library board took the day before after losing a First Amendment lawsuit.
Posted December 7, 1998.