One of the greatest hopes of the Internet was that, in the process of opening up their countries to new commercial opportunities, totalitarian regimes would also open their people to new ideas. Simply put, PICS could be the most effective global censorship technology ever designed.
Predictor: Garfinkel, Simson
Prediction, in context:In a 1994 online essay, Simson Garfinkel voices his opposition to PICS, which stands for Platform for Internet Content Selection, and was proposed as a way to help keep “undesireable” content away from children. Garfinkel writes:”One of the greatest hopes of the Internet was that, in the process of opening up their countries to new commercial opportunities, totalitarian regimes would also open their people to new ideas. Simply put, PICS could be the most effective global censorship technology ever designed.”
Biography:Simson Garfinkel, a journalist, entrepreneur and international authority on computer security, served as chief technology officer at Sandstorm Enterprises, a Boston-based firm developing computer-security tools. He was a columnist for Technology Review Magazine and wrote tech articles for more than 50 publications, including Computerworld, Forbes and The New York Times. He is the author of “Database Nation,” “PGP: Pretty Good Privacy” and many other books. (Author/Editor/Journalist.)
Date of prediction: January 1, 1994
Topic of prediction: Controversial Issues
Subtopic: Censorship/Free Speech
Name of publication: Packet
Title, headline, chapter name: Good Clean PICS
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://hotwired.lycos.com/packet/garfinkel/97/05/index2a.html
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Jagrup, Shavanna