There will be a trade association that will publish a ratings system that Prodigy, Apple, Microsoft, etc. all agree on. They will subscribe to it, all netwatch software comes with it by default, and, here’s the kicker, anyone who doesn’t support it runs the risk of being hauled into court.
Predictor: Finkelstein, Seth
Prediction, in context:In a 1995 essay sent to people in an Electronic Frontier Foundation newsgroup, Seth Finkelstein expresses doubts about a system for Internet site ratings being sponsored by many companies. ”Filtering as often advocated makes no logical sense. We keep hearing about all these parents who are stumped by the Internet, can’t figure out all the software, being outstripped by their cyberchildren. If that’s so, how are they going to install and configure a complicated Net filter tool? … I believe the PICS [Platform for Internet Content Selection] effort is a government-industry collaboration to put in place the technology for a *private-IZED* censorship system, similar to Red Channels in McCarthyism, the MPAA for movies, and the Comics Code Authority for comics … There’s a deep issue, one regarding which form the Internet provider service market will eventually assume. Perhaps it will be a ‘devil’s bargain’ where some businesses accept market regulation in return for their near-monopoly control of the media … What will happen is there will be a trade association that will publish a ratings system that Prodigy, Apple, Microsoft, etc. all agree on. They will subscribe to it, all netwatch software comes with it by default, and, here’s the kicker, anyone who doesn’t support it runs the risk of being hauled into court.”
Biography:Seth Finkelstein, an anti-censorship activist and programmer devoted hundreds of hours of personal time beginning in 1995 and over the span of several years to decrypt and expose to public scrutiny the contents of censorware blacklists, including those of CYBERsitter, SurfWatch and Cyber Patrol. The blocked sites of these products included some that advocated safer sex, feminism, gay rights and anti-censorship positions, in addition to the porn sites such products were built to block. He raised the level of public awareness about the freedom of speech issues raised by Internet content-blocking software. (Advocate/Voice of the People.)
Date of prediction: November 21, 1995
Topic of prediction: Controversial Issues
Subtopic: Censorship/Free Speech
Name of publication: Electronic Frontier Foundation
Title, headline, chapter name: Against Internet Ratings and PICS- Censorhip in Disguise?
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://wwwm.mit.edu/activities/safe/labeling/against-net-label
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Harrison, Nichelle N.