IP: Statement by the President: Supreme Court Decision on

[David Farber <farber@cis.upenn.edu>]

THE WHITE HOUSE


Office of the Press Secretary


                                                                           
For Immediate Release        June 26, 1997




STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT




 Today, the Supreme Court ruled that portions of the Communications Decency
Act 
addressing indecency are not constitutional. We will study its opinion
closely.


 The administration remains firmly committed to the provisions -- both in the 
CDA and elsewhere in the criminal code -- that prohibit the transmission of 
obscenity over the Internet and via other media. Similarly, we remain
committed 
to vigorous enforcement of federal prohibitions against transmission of child 
pornography over the Internet, and another prohibition that makes criminal
the 
use of the Internet by pedophiles to entice children to engage in sexual 
activity.


 The Internet is an incredibly powerful medium for freedom of speech and 
freedom of expression that should be protected. It is the biggest change in 
human communications since the printing press, and is being used to educate
our 
children, promote electronic commerce, provide valuable health care 
information, and allow citizens to keep in touch with their government. But 
there is material on the Internet that is clearly inappropriate for children. 
As a parent, I understand the concerns that parents have about their children 
accessing inappropriate material.


 If we are to make the Internet a powerful resource for learning, we must
give 
parents and teachers the tools they need to make the Internet safe for
children.


 Therefore, in the coming days, I will convene industry leaders and groups 
representing teachers, parents and librarians. We can and must develop a 
solution for the Internet that is as powerful for the computer as the v-chip 
will be for the television, and that protects children in ways that are 
consistent with America
,s free speech values. With the right technology and 
rating systems - we can help ensure that our children don
,t end up in the
red 
light districts of cyberspace.


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