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Date: 1999-09-13

Internet Control: Rating, Filter, Strafverfolgung


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q/depesche 99.9.13/2

Internet/kontrolle: Rating, Filter, Strafverfolgung

Zur am Sonntag zu Ende gegangenen Bertelsmann-
Veranstaltung betreffend Internet Content Rating, Filtering,
Strafverfolgung. E-Kommerz et al. zwei persönliche
Kommentare von zwier E-Persönlichkeiten. Rigo Wenning ist
ein Gründer von fitug.de, Esther Dyson ist die ehemalige
Präsidentin der Electronic Frontier Foundation & arbeitet
nunmehr für die gebeutelte Domain/vergabe/behörde ICANN

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Rigo Wenning [FITUG]

Ich persönlich kann aus der Working-Group zur
Strafverfolgung und zu Hotlines berichten. Die von Prof.
Burkard und Prof. Sieber vorbereiteten Themenpapiere hatten
es -selbst für einen Experten gesehen- in sich, in der
Quantität aber auch in der Qualität ihrer Ausführungen. Die
Diskussion war ziemlich schlapp. Michael Schneider hat die
Diskussion geleitet und später in der Vollversammlung
Bericht erstattet, der leider wenig mit unserer Diskussion zu
tun hatte.

Vielleicht wegen der schlappen Diskussion gab es
interessante Äusserungen. Ich habe den Bundesanwalt in
Sachen Radikal, Dr. Graf gefragt, ob sie den xs4all-Fall
wiederholen würden. Antwort: Derzeit werde in diesem Fall
noch ermittelt und es sei auch denkbar, dass in Zukunft die
Blockierung bestimmter Inhalte verlangt werde. Ausserdem
sei noch nicht sicher, ob die RADIKAL in den Niederlanden
wirklich legal gewesen sei....... Also, ziehen wir uns warm
an. Weiter interessant, dass Sieber entgegen der durch die
Verwendung des Begriffes "clean internet" eher auf eine
Durchsetzung eines konsensfähigen Minimums von
ethischen und sozialen Dingen dringt.

Thema war ebenfalls die Privatisierung von repressiven
Aufgaben ohne eine entsprechende Garantie des Verfahrens
und eine mangelnde Wirkung der
Menschenrechtskonventionen in diesem Umfeld.

Aus der Diskussion in der Vollversammlung dominieren
folgende Eindrücke: Ira Magaziner hat eine der besten Reden
gehalten, die ich von ihm je gehört habe. Er hat Europa davor
gewarnt, dass durch die Bürokratisierung des Internet und die
hohen Kosten für die lokalen Telefon-Verbindungen die
Entwicklung so gebremst werden könnte, dass ein
amerikanisches Übergewicht im Internet und eine Dominanz
der amerikanischen Volkswirtschaft auf lange Zeit zementiert
würde. Die heutige Technik-Feindlichkeit der Europäer werde
sie in der Zukunft unter Umständen ihre derzeitige Stellung in
der Weltwirtschaft kosten können.

Als Gesamteindruck bleibt, dass die Vielzahl der
Erwartungen der verschiedenen beteiligten Gruppen eine
Klarheit der Diskussion von vorneherein verhindert hat. Es
wurden die Unterstützung der Strafverfolgung mit einer
Regulierung der Anbieter im Bereich Jugendschutz und mit
der Problematik der grenzüberschreitenden Datenflüsse zu
einem kaum mehr zu verdauenden Cocktail vermischt. Im
Gefolge der Konferenz konnte aus diesem Cocktail dann
jeder publizistisch seinen eigenen Lieblingsgeschmack als
Ergebnis hervorzaubern.

Das allerwichtigste Ergebnis der Konferenz bleibt dabei
unerwähnt: Die Beteiligten reden miteinander, wenn auch die
Stimme der User nur dünn zum Vorschein trat.

Rigo Wenning Institut für Rechtsinformatik Saarbrücken
http://www.jura.uni-sb.de/ Förderverein Informationstechnik
und Gesellschaft http://www.fitug.de/ mail: rigo@wenning.org



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Esther Dyson [ICANN]

Response to Bertelsmann Foundation memo

This response is my personal reaction to the Bertelsmann
Foundation Memorandum on "Self-Regulation on the
Internet." I applaud the Foundation's attempts to deal with a
tough issue, and this response is intended helpfully, not
destructively. Like it or not, many forces want to "regulate
the Net," whatever that means, and "self" regulation is
probably better than regulation by some "non-self" authority.
However, it's not clear who the "self" is to be in this case.

Overall, the document leaves me feeling distinctly queasy.
So much of it defers details for implementation later. Such
and such must be done: Who will do it? Illegal content: Sure,
we're all against illegal content, but who decides what is
illegal? There are too many questions left open to be
answered by some legitimate authority later on.

The basic problem is that the group is attempting to come up
with a global solution, topdown. But the nature of the world
is that it is a collection of sometimes interacting
communities, not a single global administration to be
governed top-down. In some spheres there is need for
coordination and collaboration, but it does not necessarily
need to be governed globally.

Of course, the idea is that the system for Net content
regulation would be run by well-meaning, enlightened
individuals who know what is best for everyone. But what
happened to the notion that people know what is best for
themselves and their children? What happened to regulation by citizens themselves of the content they choose for themselves or their children, rather than regulation by a "self" of industry entities beholden to their gov
ernments?

The document proposes the creation of a full, broadly integrated set of institutions that can "protect" us all from the problem of illegal content. I fear that we will end up with a worldwide bureaucracy always forced to
take the "safe" route, calling for the removal of questionable content. ISPs are properly relieved of responsibility for actions against their customers; let the worldwide content-rating system take the heat. It will take
the heat, and dismiss it, because after all it is protecting the public, and a few mistakes here and there are inevitable.

Now let me consider some details.

Illegal content


What is illegal content? Throughout the document, the writers (not named) refer to "illlegal content such as child pornography." If there is any content other than child pornography that they think should be illegal, the
authors should have the courage to specify what they mean. They make one broader reference: "….racist and discriminatory web sites, child pornography material exchanged in certain newsgroups and chatrooms and 'how to'-gui
des on terrorist activity are too disturbing to ignore. Mechanisms have to be developed to deal with illegal content, to protect children online as well as free speech." But that is all.

Later, there is some expectation that "illegality" of content will be determined in the home territory of the publishing Website, and will be taken down in accordance with that territory's laws - and presumably by its law
-enforcement officials. But in the world of the Internet, with mirror sites, anonymous e-mail and the like, this may not be feasible - fortunately!


The proposed rating system

The proposed rating system, with its three layers, is nicely designed. The idea is to encourage sites to rate themselves, using some common vocabulary, and then to encourage second parties to create rating "templates" wi
th combinations of various metrics and that vocabulary to reflect their values. Finally, a third set of raters should make specific whitelists of acceptable sites - acceptable to children, mostly - beyond the more abstrac
t criteria of the second layer. In theory, that neatly eliminates the value issue from self-rating.

However: First, in the more detailed rating section, the authors propose that the vocabulary be created by an international group of experts of high integrity: "In addition to experts on civil liberties and Internet polic
y, the board should include social scientists who can advise about what kinds of content are more and less harmful to children." What are these social scientists doing defining a value-free vocabulary? Surely they belong
only in the second layer.

Second, a global vocabulary is inherently limiting and too constrained. It's a matter of emphasis, but the value is in the third layer, where people make editorial choices. Otherwise, where's the appreciation of quality,
of a sense of humor, respect for the truth? Surely children need to be protected from bland junk as well as from trashy or harmful junk.

Moreover, the focus on protecting children seems excessive. Perhaps it is this focus that makes the idea of almost universal filtering politically palatable. Surely people will have other motivations for filtering, but th
ey might not want to use a filtering system as blunt as this one. Personally, I'd like to see a rating system for truthfulness, for disclosure of advertising relationships, for bias, for political leaning, for assumed au
dience. (Is the site for techies or for consumers?)

At least there's a provision that unrated sites would not
automatically be excluded by most filters.

Child pornography vs. children viewing pornography

The report seems to gloss over the distinction between child
pornography, a legal term that connotes the use of children in
pornography, which is (almost) universally illegal. This
generally involves abuse of actual children, and content on
the Net is evidence of the actual abuse of children. This is
quite different from the viewing of pornography (on or off the
Net) by children, which is almost certainly harmful in excess
(like almost anything in excess) but is quite a different matter.

Privacy issues

I also have some concerns over the report's attitude to
privacy protection - and implicitly, to anonymity. It is
important to catch criminals, but we need to maintain a
balance among society's various needs. There is a
suggestion that the Internet industry (broadly defined) should
"tak[e] all commercially reasonable steps to verify the
identity of subscribers, while protecting subscribers' privacy."
That does not seem to be necessary: Abusers can be shut
off without their identities being known; persistent abusers
will eventually become identifiable.

Constructive criticism

So what are alternative, positive approaches? First of all,
private groups such as the Bertelsmann Foundation are doing
the right thing by getting involved in this debate. They should
raise people's awareness of the issues and encourage them
to think for themselves - and to pick content for themselves
and to offer content-rating services or choices to others.
Bertelsmann should encourage private groups and
companies to develop and promote rating services, not just
for porn or violence, but for quality, advertising disclosure,
data-collection-and-use practices, and the like. These
services, like many services designed to "solve problems,"
are a huge business opportunity.

Bertelsmann should also encourage widespread consumer-
education campaigns, led not just by foundations and
governments, but also by companies (known as
"advertising"). Just as consumers look for price, nutritional
information, fabric content, care instructions, warranties and
and other information on products, so should they be
encouraged to look for similar meta-information on Websites.

In short, let's look at the role that informed, empowered
citizens can play in keeping the Net a place they want to live
in.


-- Esther Dyson Always make new mistakes!
chairman, EDventure Holdings interim chairman, Internet
Corp. for Assigned Names & Numbers
edyson@edventure.com
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edited by Harkank
published on: 1999-09-13
comments to office@quintessenz.at
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