Freedom of Expression

First Amendment Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Terms with Privacy Defamation is the publication of a statement of alleged fact which is false and which harms another person. Slander is an oral defamatory statement. Libel is a written defamatory statement.

Communications Decency Act Became law in 1996. Purpose was to allow free competition among phone, cable, and TV companies. Also sought to protect children from online pornography. Supreme Court ruled the law unconstitutional.

ICRA Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) is a non-profit organization that strives to enable the public to make informed decisions about electronic media through the open and objective labeling of content.

CHILDREN’S Internet Protection Act In December 2000, Congress passed the Children’s Internet Protection Act that requires federally financed schools and libraries to use some form of technology to block access to obscene materials to minors.

Anonymity Anonymous expression allows you to state your opinions without revealing your identity. Anonymous expression played an important role in the early formation of the United States. Maintaining anonymity on the Internet is important to some users. Anonymous remailer is a computer program that strips the originating address from the message.

“John Doe” lawsuit - protects the identity of individuals on the Internet In the U.S., Internet “speech” that is merely annoying, critical, demeaning, or offensive enjoys protection under the First Amendment. Legal recourse can happen only when hate speech turns into clear threats and intimidation.

Hate Speech Most other countries do not provide constitutional protection for hate speech. A U.S. citizen who posts material on the Internet that is illegal in a foreign country can be prosecuted if that person visits that country.

Pornography The Internet has been a boom to the pornography industry. One in four Americans visit a web site once a month. Forrester Research estimates that sex sites on the Web generate at least $1 billion in revenue each year.

Pronography and the WEB U.S. organizations exercise great care in how they deal with the issue of pornography in the work place. Many companies have a usage policy that prohibits access to porno sites. There are numerous Federal laws addressing child pornography.

Privacy and YOU In the U.S., Internet speech that is merely annoying, critical, demeaning, or offensive enjoys protection under the First Amendment. Legal recourse is possible only when hate speech turns into clear threats and intimidation.