Current laws, which clearly protect young and old users from harrassment and obscenity and indecency, are woefully out of date with this new challenge and this new opportunity. The current law is drafted in the technology, primarily, of the telephone, dating back to 1934. Our efforts today, and in the coming weeks, bring closer the day of technological convergence. Soon the concept of a telephone will be as relevant as today’s concept of the telegraph. The principles that I have proposed in the Communications Decency Act are simple and constitutional. Telecommunications devices should not be used to distribute obscenity, indecency to minors, or used to harass the innocent
Predictor: Exon, James
Prediction, in context:In 1995 Sen. James Exon, D-Neb., proposed an amendment to the Telecommunications Act. This is an excerpt from Exon’s statement, which is included the Congressional Record report from June 9, 1995: ”Just as we modernize the rules which apply to the telecommunications industry, we need to modernize the rules which apply to the use of their products and their services that are going to be distributed in a form that we never even imagined previously. Unfortunately, the current laws, which clearly protect young and old users from harrassment and obscenity and indecency, are woefully out of date with this new challenge and this new opportunity. The current law is drafted in the technology, primarily, of the telephone, dating back to 1934. Our efforts today, and in the coming weeks, bring closer the day of technological convergence. Soon the concept of a telephone will be as relevant as today’s concept of the telegraph. The principles that I have proposed in the Communications Decency Act are simple and constitutional. Telecommunications devices should not be used to distribute obscenity, indecency to minors, or used to harass the innocent.”
Biography:James Exon, a U.S. senator from Nebraska, was the author of the Communications Decency Act, passed by the U.S. Senate in 1995. The controversial legislation contained sweeping language barring “obscene,” “indecent” or “harassing” communications online or via phone or fax. (Legislator/Politician/Lawyer.)
Date of prediction: June 9, 1995
Topic of prediction: Controversial Issues
Subtopic: Censorship/Free Speech
Name of publication: Congressional Record
Title, headline, chapter name: Communications Decency Act
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?r104:1:./temp/~r104Uzm12X:e46:
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney