Reaction mixed to court's Internet ruling

June 26, 1997
Web posted at: 11:15 p.m. EDT (0315 GMT)

In this story:

Clinton plans to find new ways to restrict porn
Many with stake in Internet praise ruling
Law's backers promise another round
Related stories and sites

SAN FRANCISCO (CNN) -- Free speech activists were quick to embrace Thursday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling to strike down a federal law restricting indecency on the Internet. But the law's advocates pledged to push for new limits.

"Victory in the Supreme Court!" read the Citizens Internet Empowerment Coalition home page (http://www.ciec.org/), minutes after the decision was announced.

The coalition, representing many of the plaintiffs, changed a graphic image on more than 12,000 Internet sites. It went from saying, "Will online free speech survive," to "Victory in the Supreme Court -- online free speech will survive."

"High Court Affirms Free Speech on the Internet," echoed the home page of the American Civil Liberties Union.

But supporters of the law warned the court's action overturning the 1996 Communications Decency Act left children exposed to inappropriate, pornographic material that is widely available on the Internet. They pledged to pressure Congress to enact a more narrowly tailored law.

The court ruled that all key parts of the law violated the First Amendment by impinging on otherwise permissible speech among adults. The law actually was never in effect as legal challenges against it proceeded.

Some parents had mixed reactions.

"There's a lot of sick people out there and those people think they have a right to these things," said Rita Jordan, a concerned mother.

But another disagreed. "I think kids should be open to everything," said Beatrice Braojos.

Clinton plans to find new ways to restrict porn

President Clinton, whose administration argued before the court in support of the law, will convene a conference Tuesday to talk about the ruling.

The gathering of parents, industry representatives and librarians will be asked to consider different ways within the law to protect children from inappropriate material on the Internet.

"With the right technology and rating systems, we can help ensure that our children don't end up in the red light district of cyberspace," Clinton said.

Many with stake in Internet praise ruling

Internet companies, worried that the law would slow the booming growth of the Internet, also praised the ruling and said parents could use existing technology to prevent children from accessing pornographic material.

"It's an important victory for anyone who cares about free speech or the future of the Internet," Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates said. "Today, there are other means of controlling material that parents find objectionable."

Netscape Communications Corp., makers of the most popular software for browsing the Internet, said they would implement a screening feature in upcoming versions of their product.

"Let's deal with the issue seriously and not run afoul of the First Amendment or the technology of the Internet," the company's public policy counsel, Peter Harter, said.

Law's backers promise another round

Supporters of the law countered that children were at risk without legal protection. Sen. Dan Coats, an Indiana Republican who was one of the authors of the law, charged that "a judicial elite is undermining democratic attempts to address pressing social problems."

"The court did not necessarily rule out more specific regulatory methods," added Sen. Christopher Bond, a Missouri Republican.

Cathy Cleaver, director of legal policy at the Family Research Council in Washington, said the court's opinion left room for Congress to draft narrower restrictions.

Wired Magazine's Todd Lappin said the Supreme Court simply overturned unconstitutional legislation of Congress and the president.

"A decision like this does a great job, a great thing for democracy, because it really shows that the system works," Lappin said.

In its decision, the court noted that prior laws banning transmission of "obscene" materials and child pornography over any medium remain in force and would apply to the Internet.

San Francisco Bureau Chief Greg Lefevre and Reuters contributed to this report.