Time: Wed Jul 16 19:39:46 1997 by primenet.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id TAA09072 for [address in tool bar]; Wed, 16 Jul 1997 19:35:40 -0700 (MST) by usr04.primenet.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id TAA14244; Wed, 16 Jul 1997 19:33:04 -0700 (MST) Date: Wed, 16 Jul 1997 19:32:37 -0700 To: (Recipient list suppressed) From: Paul Andrew Mitchell [address in tool bar] Subject: SLS: CLINTON REMARKS ON THE INTERNET (fwd) <snip> > >16 July 1997 > >TRANSCRIPT: CLINTON REMARKS ON THE INTERNET JULY 16 > >(Netscape commits to family-friendly policy) (1380) > >Washington -- President Clinton announced July 16 that Netscape >Communications has committed to add family-friendly controls to the >next release of its popular Internet browser. > >"Parents who use the Netscape browser to explore the Internet will be >able to tell the browser precisely what types of materials they do not >wish their children to see," the President told an audience in the >East Room of the White House. > >"Microsoft, which also offers a popular Internet browser, has already >incorporated this technology," Clinton said. > >"Therefore," he said, "with Netscape's pledge today, we now have >assurance that 90 percent of all software used to explore the Internet >will have family-friendly controls built right in. It's also important >to note that all of the major companies that offer Internet service >now provide some form of family-friendly controls. And I commend all >of them for that." > >Following is the White House transcript: > >(begin transcript) > >THE WHITE HOUSE > >July 16, 1997 > >REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT EVENT ON THE V-CHIP FOR THE INTERNET > >The East Room > >THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Lois Jean, and thank you, Steve >Case. Thank you, Mr. Vice President, for all the work you've done on >this issue. And to Secretary Daley, Commissioner Varney, Deputy >Attorney General Waxman, and the members of Congress who had to go for >a vote. I thank all of you for your interest. And thank you, all of >you, who come here from the various companies who were part of the >Vice President's meeting this morning and from other interested >groups. > >I think it's fair to say that history will evaluate the Internet as >having sparked a revolution in information perhaps every bit as >profound as the printing press. For today, at the click of a mouse, >children can tap into the resources of the Library of Congress, to a >great museum, communicate with classrooms around the world. > >I am particularly proud to point out that the Internet allows us now >to join beyond the Earth. Just since July 4, NASA's Mars Pathfinder >Web site has received more than 27 million visits. And we are very >proud of that, and proud of NASA. > >But we all know and we've heard the horror stories about the >inappropriate material for children that can be found on the Internet. >We know children can be victimized over the Internet. After the >Supreme Court struck down the portion of the Communications Decency >Act last month affecting this as an abridgement of free speech, we >brought together industry leaders and groups representing teachers, >parents, librarians to discuss where to go next. > >This morning there was a discussion that I believe can fairly be said >to have reached a consensus about how to pave the way to a >family-friendly Internet without paving over the constitutional >guarantees of free speech and free expression. The plan has three >components -- new technologies, enforcement of existing laws, more >active participation of parents. > >As you have heard already with regard to technology, the computer >industry is developing a whole toolbox full of technologies that can >do for the Internet what the V-chip will do for television. Some of >the tools are already widely in use, as Steve said. They give parents >the power to unlock -- or and to lock the digital doors to >objectionable content. > >Now we have to make these tools more readily available to all parents >and all teachers in America, and as new tools come on line, we have to >distribute them quickly and we have to make sure that parents are >trained to use them. > >In an extremely adroit use of language in our meeting earlier, one of >the leaders said, well, Mr. President, you've talked about how >technologically inept you are; perhaps you would be our guinea pig as >each new thing comes along -- (laughter) -- and then we could >certainly certify that, if you can figure out how to use it, anybody >can. (Laughter.) And so I sort of volunteered. Having been damned with >faint praise, I enjoyed that. (Laughter.) > >But I think it is important, it is important to know not only that >things exist but that they are being used and that they can be used. >So we had a little laugh about what is a very serious element of this >whole endeavor. > >Today several industry leaders are taking major steps in this >direction. I'm pleased to announce first that Netscape Communications >has committed to add family-friendly controls to the next release of >its popular Internet browser. Parents who use the Netscape browser to >explore the Internet will be able to tell the browser precisely what >types of materials they do not wish their children to see. Microsoft, >which also offers a popular Internet browser, has already incorporated >this technology. > >Therefore, with Netscape's pledge today, we now have assurance that 90 >percent of all software used to explore the Internet will have >family-friendly controls built right in. It's also important to note >that all of the major companies that offer Internet service now >provide some form of family-friendly controls. And I commend all of >them for that. > >For these controls to work to their full potential, we also need to >encourage every Internet site, whether or not it has material harmful >for young people, to label its own content as the Vice President >described just a few moments ago. To help to speed the labeling >process along, several Internet search engines -- the Yellow Pages of >cyberspace, if you will -- will begin to ask that all Web sites label >content when applying for a spot in their directories. > >I want to thank Yahoo, Excite and Lycos for this important commitment. >You're helping greatly to assure that self-labeling will become the >standard practice. And that must be our objective. > >Beyond technology, we must have strict enforcement of existing laws -- >the anti-stalking, child pornography and obscenity laws as they apply >to cyberspace. In the past three months alone, the FBI has expanded by >50 percent the staff committed to investigating computer-related >exploitation of minors, and established a task force to target >computer child pornography and solicitation. In the past six months, >the Department of Justice has increased the number of lawyers working >in its Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section by 50 percent. We >simply must not allow pornographers and pedophiles to exploit a >wonderful medium to abuse our children. > >And, finally, we must recognize that in the end, the responsibility >for our children's safety will rest largely with their parents. >Cutting-edge technology and criminal prosecutions cannot substitute >for responsible mothers and fathers. Parents must make the commitment >to sit down with their children and learn together about the benefits >and challenges of the Internet. And parents, now that the tools are >available, will have to take upon themselves the responsibility of >figuring out how to use them. > >I think it's fair to say that all parents will likely lag behind their >children in facility on the Internet, but at least if we understand >the tools that are available, it will be possible to do the >responsible and correct thing. > >Thanks to the talents, to the creativity, to the commitments of so >many of you assembled today, we have now, therefore, a road map toward >constructive steps for a family-friendly Internet. There is still a >lot to do. Parent groups and educators must work to help hone our >labeling systems so that they will actually screen out materials we >don't want our children to see and, as others have said today, with >equal energy help to highlight the materials that serve our children >best. That is very, very important. > >The Internet community must work to make these labels as common as >food safety labels are today, to continue to expand access to >family-friendly tools, including software to protect children's >privacy from unscrupulous vendors. > >With a combination of technology, law enforcement and parental >responsibilities, we have the best chance to ensure that the Internet >will be both safe for our children and the greatest educational >resource we have ever known. And that is our common commitment, and >for that, I thank you all very much. > >(end transcript) > > >______________________________________________________ >Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com > >-> Send "subscribe snetnews " to majordomo@world.std.com >-> Posted by: "Brian Mosely" <bmosely@hotmail.com> > > > ======================================================================== Paul Andrew Mitchell : Counselor at Law, federal witness B.A., Political Science, UCLA; M.S., Public Administration, U.C. Irvine tel: (520) 320-1514: machine; fax: (520) 320-1256: 24-hour/day-night email: [address in tool bar] : using Eudora Pro 3.0.3 on 586 CPU website: http://www.supremelaw.com : visit the Supreme Law Library now ship to: c/o 2509 N. Campbell, #1776 : this is free speech, at its best Tucson, Arizona state : state zone, not the federal zone Postal Zone 85719/tdc : USPS delays first class w/o this As agents of the Most High, we came here to establish justice. We shall not leave, until our mission is accomplished and justice reigns eternal. ======================================================================== [This text formatted on-screen in Courier 11, non-proportional spacing.]
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