Computers, internet
Congressional Committee Approved CDA II
The successor to the controversial Communications Decency Act which was subsequently struck down by the Supreme Court as being unconstitutional has made it way through the committee process in the House of Representatives and now goes to the House floor for debate and voting. The legislation sometimes referred to as the CDA II effectively bans the open distribution and display of sexually graphic material on the Internet and met almost no opposition during committee debate.
Now officially known as the Children's Online Protection Act, the federal legislation requires all commercial web sites to keep minors away from sexually explicit content by the use of credit cards or some form of adult identification. Educational sites and sites funded by non-profit organizations may not have to abide by those restrictions, but cannot post information which appeal to prurient interests, are offensive, and have no redeeming artistic, literary, political or scientific value. The Supreme Court struck down its predecessor party because such offensive content was not as clearly specified as by the new legislation. Some first amendment rights advocates are slamming the legislation.
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