Cyberspace, with 20 million users worldwide, connecting 145 nations, is too rich and complex an environment for a law as general and misinformed as the Communications Decency Act … Cyberspace is a national resource too precious to submit to dangerously simplistic legislation. Congress should educate itself on this environment before considering Senator Exon’s indecent proposal.
Predictor: Bennahum, David S.
Prediction, in context:In a 1995 article for the New York Times, David Bennahum covers the issues involved in the controversy over the Communications Decency Act. Bennahum writes: ”The bill, known as the Communications Decency Act, is scheduled to reach the Senate floor in early June as part of the mammoth telecommunications bill … [It] would punish anyone convicted of sending obscene material through computer networks with up to a $100,000 fine and two years in prison. That doesn’t only mean individuals distributing pornography; it could also mean erotic love letters distributed by e-mail or sexually explicit fiction … Cyberspace, with 20 million users worldwide, connecting 145 nations, is too rich and complex an environment for a law as general and misinformed as the Communications Decency Act. The Clinton Administration, concerned that the Senate will vote without a real understanding of the issues at stake, let alone knowledge of how cyberspace functions, asked the Senate to hold hearings on the act before voting. At the moment, the Senate has no formal plans to do so. That’s a mistake. Cyberspace is a national resource too precious to submit to dangerously simplistic legislation. Congress should educate itself on this environment before considering Senator Exon’s indecent proposal.”
Date of prediction: May 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: Controversial Issues
Subtopic: Censorship/Free Speech
Name of publication: New York Times
Title, headline, chapter name: Getting Cyber Smart
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://memex.org/nyt-gettingcybersmart.html
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: McAlister, Rory