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  **         **      **       ***               POLICY POST
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  **         **      **       ***               June 21, 1995
  **         **      **       ***               Number 20
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  CENTER FOR DEMOCRACY AND TECHNOLOGY
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  A briefing on public policy issues affecting civil liberties online
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CDT POLICY POST Number 20                       June 21, 1995

CONTENTS: (1) CDT PRAISES SPEAKER GINGRICH'S OPPOSITION TO EXON/COATS
              INTERNET CENSORSHIP BILL

This document may be re-distributed freely provided it remains in its
entirety.
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PRESS RELEASE -- For Immediate Release
June 21, 1995
Contact: the Center for Democracy and Technology at +1.202.637.9800


    CENTER FOR DEMOCRACY AND TECHNOLOGY PRAISES SPEAKER GINGRICH'S 
          OPPOSITION TO EXON/COATS INTERNET CENSORSHIP BILL.

In a move that is a boon for freedom of speech rights for Internet users,
Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has condemned the Exon/Coats 
"Communications Decency Act" as a "clear violation of free speech 
and ... a violation of the right of adults to communicate with each other."

"Speaker Gingrich has demonstrated that he understands the unique nature of
interactive media such as the Internet," said CDT Executive Director Jerry 
Berman. "Gingrich's leadship on this issue will assure that new interactive 
media will be free to grow without unproductive government intrusion, and that 
the First Amendment rights of users will be protected."

The statement from the Republican leader came on the same day that Rep. Chris 
Cox (R-CA) and Rep. Ron Wyden (D-OR) announced that they are developing a 
different approach to the problem of children's access to controversial 
material on the Internet.  Cox and Wyden say that they seek to encourage 
the development of blocking and filtering technologies that empower parents 
to screen the material to which their children have access.  At the same time, 
they hope to keep the growing Internet free from intrusive and ineffective 
regulation by the Federal Communications Commission.

"Along with the Speaker, Congessmen Cox and Wyden know that federal content 
censorship such as has existed in radio and television mass media will not 
be effective at protecting children," said Daniel Weitzner, CDT Deputy 
Director.  "In the decentralized, global Internet environment, we must rely 
on user control technology to enable users and parents to determine for 
themselves the information that they and their children receive."

The Exon Internet censorship bill was strongly opposed in the Senate by 
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI).  The 
Exon/Coats bill was approved, however, by the Senate last week and is 
still awaiting House action.

Gingrich made his remarks (attached below) last night on a national 
television show, the Progress Report carried on National Empowerment 
Television during a discussion with Rep. Bob Walker (R-PA) and Progress 
and Freedom Foundation Chairman Jay Keyworth.

Gingrich said:

"I think that the Amendment you referred to by Senator Exon in the 
Senate will have no real meaning and have no real impact and in fact 
I don't think will survive. It is clearly a violation of free speech 
and it's a violation of the right of adults to communicate with each 
other. I don't agree with it and I don't think it is a serious way to 
discuss a serious issue, which is, how do you maintain the right of free 
speech for adults while also protecting children in a medium which is 
available to both? That's also frankly a problem with television and radio, 
and it's something that we have to wrestle with in a calm and mature way 
as a society. I think by offering a very badly thought out and not very 
productive amendment, if anything, that put the debate back a step."
                                              

The Center for Democracy and Technology is a non-profit public interest 
organization. The Center's mission is to develop and advocate public 
policies that advance constitutional civil liberties and democratic 
values in new computer and communications technologies.

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