Publisher's Synopsis
In homes, schools, and libraries across the nation, the Internet has become a valuable and even critical tool for our children's success. Access to the Internet furnishes children with new resources with which to learn, new avenues for expression, and new skills to obtain quality jobs. Our children's access to the Internet, however, can put them in contact with inappropriate and potentially harmful material. Some children inadvertently confront pornography, indecent material, hate sites, and sites promoting violence, while other children actively seek out inappropriate content. Additionally, through participation in chat rooms and other interactive dialogues over the Internet, children can be vulnerable to online predators. Parents and educators have access to a variety of tools that can help protect children from these dangers. In October 2000, Congress passed the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), which requires schools and libraries that receive federal funds for discounted telecommunications, Internet access, or internal connections services to adopt an Internet safety policy and employ technological protections that block or filter certain visual depictions deemed obscene, pornographic, or harmful to minors. Congress also requested the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to (1) evaluate whether the technology measures currently available adequately address the needs of educational institutions, and (2) evaluate the development and effectiveness of local Internet safety policies. Congress also invited any recommendations from NTIA as to how to foster the development of measures that meet these needs. This report sets forth NTIA's public outreach, including comments received through a Request for Comment, its evaluation, and recommendations. With respect to whether the technology measures currently available address the needs of educational institutions, the commenters identified the following needs of educational institutions: - balancing the importance of allowing children to use the Internet with the importance of protecting children from inappropriate material; - accessing online educational materials with a minimum level of relevant content being blocked; - deciding on the local level how best to protect children from Internet dangers; - understanding how to fully utilize Internet protection technology measures; - considering a variety of technical, educational, and economic factors when selecting technology protection measures; and - adopting an Internet safety strategy that includes technology, human monitoring, and education. Based on a review of the comments, currently available technology measures have the capacity to meet most, if not all, of these needs and concerns. Accordingly, NTIA makes the following two recommendations to Congress on how to foster the use of technology protection measures to better meet the needs of educational institutions: - Technology vendors should offer training services to educational institutions on the specific features of their products. - CIPA's definition of "technology protection measure" should be expanded to include more than just blocking and filtering technology in order to encompass a vast array of current technological measures that protect children from inappropriate content. Finally, commenters expressed a great deal of satisfaction regarding the development and effectiveness of Internet safety policies. Specifically, they praise the ability to customize these policies to address the concerns of individual communities. Based on the comments, NTIA has identified best practices for use in developing Internet safety policies.
