The issue of internet safety\u2014and, more specifically, child pornography and child predators\u2014is one that invites debate over the means, not the ends, of enforcement.\u00a0 There is little disagreement that the government needs to address the ever-growing risks that children are exposed to while online.\u00a0 However, while a number of different groups have proposed that President-elect Obama take action on the matter, most of them disagree about what he should do.\u00a0 Obama himself has said little about how he will promote online safety, leaving the issue open for further examination.\u00a0 In this post, we will look at some of the proposals that have been made for the incoming administration, and articulate some of the pros and cons of each group’s ideas.<\/p>\n
First, one must note the importance of the United States’ policies on child pornography to the rest of the world.\u00a0 Former British prime minister Tony Blair has personally written to President-elect Obama, asking him to take action before the issue unduly hurts other countries.\u00a0 According to the UK’s Internet Watch Foundation<\/a> (IWF), more illegal images are hosted by U.S. internet companies than by any other country.\u00a0 While President Bush ignored the British leader’s concerns, child protection charities are hopeful that the Obama administration will address the issue more forcefully.\u00a0 We would hope that, under a proposed Chief Technology Officer, child pornography would be at the forefront of the White House’s concerns.<\/p>\n When it comes to more specific proposals, the Family Online Safety Institute has provided the most specific guidelines for Obama.\u00a0 In their recently-released “Making Wise Choices Online<\/a>” report, FOSI has lamented that the U.S. has no coordinated national strategy to address online safety.\u00a0 To change this, the group has made several recommendations:<\/p>\n The report also emphasizes the importance of companies’ cooperation in the matter, stating that ISPs, phone companies, and wireless providers should play an active role in helping families to protect their children.\u00a0 For example, FOSI cites the effort of MySpace (in the Internet Technical Task Force) to study what new technology can be used to help protect children online.<\/p>\n\n