PICS: Platform for Internet Content Selection Dr. James Miller MIT Laboratory for Computer Science

PICS System Rules User Service s Guarantor Signed Label Labelers Label (Vocabulary) Rules User Service (Process) s Guarantor Signed Label Labelers Label Search/Filter Engine

Framing The Question The Technology Itself U.S. Domestic Use of the Technology International Use of the Technology

The Technology Itself Labels (metadata) are useful for many things ...Since the Web is global, its technology must support a wide range of policy options that encourage all cultures to use the Web…. [The Web] architecture must allow local policies to co- exist without cultural fragmentation or domination. Labels (metadata) are useful for many things Improving and automating search (library catalogs) Quality labels (virus checks, “archivist”, community) Child protection (content regulation) Privacy protection (data reuse policy) Intellectual property rights management

U.S. Domestic Policy Educate parents about the new medium Parental involvement is essential Filtering is an aid, not a panacea Encourage many third-party labels Parents must choose Filter when parents can’t be there Public schools, especially grades 6 - 9 Children in libraries and public spaces Parental choice or community choice or …?

International Policy Oppose mandatory labeling, encourage objective rating Objective rating systems are possible Self-rating vs. third-party rating is irrelevant More effective as a public service than as a self-supporting business Establish objective labeling as a safe haven