International Summit Calls for
Rating and Filtering Internet Content
Some 300 policymakers, corporate executives, and other experts met in Munich September 9–11 to address the problem of illegal and harmful material on the Internet. The Internet Content Summit, sponsored by the Bertelsmann Foundation, a not-for-profit social-policy organization, issued recommendations calling for rating and filtering mechanisms, internationally networked hotlines, and industry self-regulation.
The group recommended limiting the liability of Internet service providers for illegal content, but called on ISPs to help train law enforcement to effectively pursue Internet criminals.
“It is in the best interest of industry to commit to self-regulatory mechanisms. They reduce the likelihood of overinclusive and rather inflexible government regulation; they increase user confidence and secure competitiveness,” said Bertelsmann Chair Mark Wössner.
The online CNet news service reported September 14 that despite criticism from free-speech advocates, America Online and other major firms formed an advisory body, the Internet Content Rating Association, at the close of the summit to review several proposals to create a global system for rating and filtering Web content.
Posted September 20, 1999.
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