Impact of Computers on Society

1. Impact of Computers on Society 5. Freedom of Speech

2. A Historic View of Modern Communications • Print media – can be purchased and/or read by anyone • Newspapers • Magazines and pamphlets • Books • Broadcast media – broadcast through the air so that anyone can tune in • Radio • Television • A regulated monopoly

3. More History • Common carriers – carried over wires or by individual delivery to patrons • Postal and delivery services • Telephone • Traditionally, the First Amendment protects print media, broadcast media, and common carriers

4. How Do Computers Fit In? • The blind men and the elephant • Somewhat like print – anyone can log on at home, in a library, or in an internet cafe • Somewhat like a broadcast medium – information on the web is generally available to all • Somewhat like a common carrier – individual subscribers to a service

5. Content on the Internet • News • Information (both accurate and inaccurate) • Entertainment • Web sites for a “cause” (noble, anti-government, silly, etc.) • Personal and group communication • What if the colonists had had email during the American Revolution! • Pornography

6. The P-word • Protected by the First Amendment • Purpose of 1st Amendment is to protect points of view that may be controversial • 1st Amendment applies to government censorship, not individuals • Individuals and organizations are free not to promote ideas they disagree with • Not a new problem • Not delivered to your doorstep • Most people choose to ignore pornography

7. Censorship • There is a strong urge to censor what we don’t like • The Attorney General draped a nude statue • On what basis do we censor? • Remember that the computer is an enabling technology, not the basic cause of the problem

8. Children • Easy access to “adult” websites • Browser hijacking and pop-ups • Some sites “push” pornography at end users • Child pornography made much easier • Some complications • Adults portraying children in porno • Virtual drawings or animations

9. What is the risk to a child? • Books – Peyton Place, Tropic of Cancer, Ulysses • Magazines – Playboy, Penthouse, etc. • Perhaps a picture or two • Most of us saw these things or at least heard about them when we were growing up • We all (I think!) turned out OK

10. An efficient delivery system • Offensive material is… • Easy to find • In great quantity • Thrust at you • A private setting – little or no adult supervision • Anonymous for both publisher and viewer

11. Computer Decency Act of 1996 • Too broad • Prevented many legitimate uses of the net • Struck down in court • “As the most participatory form of mass speech yet developed, the Internet deserves the highest protection from government intrusion.” • The court decision hasn’t prevented multiple subsequent attempts at regulation and censorship.

12. Some questions • What is offensive? • Nudity • Sexual acts • Violence • Hate speech • Since the Internet uses public bandwidth (somewhat like a broadcast medium), to what extent can it be regulated?

13. Additional Questions • To what extent should standards for children differ from those for adults? • How do you set “standards” anyway? • Does censorship actually protect children? • Notice that these questions are not really computer questions, they are social questions.