Online Child Safety
The desire to protect children motivates many of the government initiatives to regulate the Internet. While well-intended, these regulations not only are often ineffective but also threaten free speech online. Laws that seek to regulate indecent or other content, marketing communications, and the use of social networking sites by minors frequently infringe on the free speech rights of both minors and adults. Rather than placing power in the hands of the government, CDT advocates for empowering individual users and parents to exercise their right to choose the information that they see, hear, and speak on the Internet. Although children may need help in making these choices, we believe that educating parents, teachers, and librarians to guide children's Internet experiences is far more effective than government regulation.
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Follow the latest CDT news with Press Releases, Events, and where we've been featured around the Internet.
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John Morris will testify before the Maine State Legislature on LD 1677: An Act to Protect Minors from Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices Event: John Morris will testify before the Maine State Legislature on LD 1677: An Act to Protect Minors... |
3/4/2010 | |
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CDT Urges FCC to Avoid Filtering and Other Mandates Statement: CDT yesterday filed two set of comments with the Federal Communications Commission in response to... |
User Empowerment | 4/17/2009 |
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CDT's Morris Named to Online Safety and Technology Working Group Statement: CDT's John Morris has been appointed to the "Online Safety and Technology Working Group,... |
User Empowerment | 4/6/2009 |
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Internet Safety Technical Task Force Issues Report Looking at Online Risks Press Release: Contact: Brock N Meeks, CDT (202) 637-9800 ex. 114 (703) 989-3547 (CELL) Washington –... |
1/13/2009 | |
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Leslie Harris, Free Expression: Keeping the Internet Free For a New Generation of Speakers, The Huffington Post, Oct. 9, 2008 Commentary: Sometimes I just want to grab our government leaders by their collective collar and yell: "... |
Political Speech | 10/9/2008 |
Policy Posts deliver in-depth analysis of current issues affecting the Internet. These documents are a leading resource for policy makers, the press, industry representatives, students, and others interested in legal and policy issues affecting the Internet.
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| Congressional Child Safety Bills Present Serious Constitutional Risks, and Some Opportunities for Effective Action | The current Congressional session has seen the introduction of an unprecedented number of bills... | 2/14/2008 | |
| CDT Files Brief Calling for the Overturning of COPA on Free Speech Grounds | Last week, in the most significant Internet free speech case since the Supreme Court struck down... | 11/9/2007 | |
| Indecency Ruling a Significant Victory for Free Expression | Earlier this month, a federal appeals court in New York handed an important victory to free... | Indecency in Other Media | 6/27/2007 |
| Federal Court Rejects Censorship, Endorses User Empowerment | In a major victory for free speech online, the federal District Court in Philadelphia on March 22... | 3/23/2007 | |
| CDT and PFF Urge Courts to Rein in the FCC | Last week, the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) and Adam Thierer of the Progress and... | Indecency in Other Media | 12/11/2006 |
Find all our latest testimony, papers, and other reports here.
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Statement of John Morris before the Joint Committee on Business, Research, and Economic Development Maine State Legislature Testimony: Chairman Schneider, Chairman Smith, and Members of the Joint Committee: On behalf of the Center for... |
John Morris | 3/4/2010 |