Lawmakers seek ways to block Net porn
Little has been successful.
But a legislative committee studying the issue this spring and summer heard Wednesday about some real-world alternatives that Utah lawmakers can adopt.
Local Internet providers, like locally based XMission, have raised concerns about state legislators trying to control a medium that answers to Congress and is protected by constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and interstate commerce.
But those advocating controls told lawmakers there are ways to restrict access to child pornography already illegal in the United States and keep minors from accessing adult-only-legal sexually explicit Web sites.
Among the proposals were penalizing those who leave their wireless networks open and rewarding Internet providers that self-police access to pornography.
The discussion in the Public Utilities and Technology Interim Study Committee was often technical, with committee members having to be brought up to speed on various terms and applications.
"My brain is on the edge of frying, trying to understand" the technology involved, said committee co-chairman Sen. Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City.
Ralph Yarro, a parent volunteering his time to stem what he calls a crisis of inappropriate material flowing over an unregulated Internet, understands the confusion lawmakers face, saying there is a huge "generation gap" between what teens and pre-teens can do on the Internet and what their parents understand.
Cheryl Preston, a law professor at Brigham Young University who has been studying various legal methods to keeping Internet porn out of the reach of minors, said when she discusses the problem she often hears the argument: "What are these kids' mothers doing" and why are they not watching what their children are doing on the computer?
But many parents aren't tech savvy, she said. "The mothers are just glad to see their kids doing their homework on the home computer."
Beyond that, however, is that many teens know how to get around filters in the home computer or know where they can get open-access wireless Internet "where they can watch porn all day long," said Yarro, who heads a group called CP80, which advocates congressional action to set up family-friendly Internet groupings that would filter out porn Internet addresses.
Pete Ashdown is the founder and owner of XMission, a local Internet service provider.
Ashdown, who was the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate a year ago, said XMission has been providing Internet filters to his clients for more than 10 years long before the Utah Legislature got involved in Internet control.
Recent comments
I think law makers should take a stand against youth access to porn...
Anonymous | Dec. 14, 2008 at 7:42 p.m.
I'm sixteen and I've accessed tons of porn. Why don't you go shut...
anonymoose | Aug. 14, 2008 at 10:34 a.m.
The Church should stay out of government. How about we hold the...
Don Cole | Feb. 3, 2008 at 1:43 a.m.
- Research could help fuel West 10:49 a.m.
- Sentencing in cattle rustling case 10:31 a.m.
- 70 boaters cited at Lake Powell 10:30 a.m.
- Propane leak at Zion lodge 10:27 a.m.
- Judge throws out lawsuit 10:17 a.m.
- Joint Strike Fighter 10:15 a.m.
- Biden celebrates July 4 with troops 10:14 a.m.
- Toddler dies in accidental drowning 10:06 a.m.
- Watch out for bears 10:06 a.m.
- 2 US troops die in attack 10:01 a.m.
- Jazz talked Kirilenko for McGrady
- Palin's and Romney's roles in 2012?
- No luxury-tax relief for Harpring
- Millsap's potential suitor list smaller
- Manti woman paints fallen soldiers
- Beck making most of time off
- Y. gets verbal from cornerback
- Turkoglu cuts off talks with Blazers
- Palin resigning as governor
- Nation's rising debt next crisis?
- Boozer not opting out of contract
180 - Letters: Stop anti-Obama letters
110 - Lack of Obama photos concerning
97 - Palin resigning as governor
94 - Utah leaner in too-fat country
91 - Korver stays; what about others?
91 - Editorial: A sad day for Utah
85 - Jazz plan to re-sign Millsap
81 - Don't listen to marriage cynics
77 - Letters: Obama resembles tyrant
67
Let's see...Rockets...Rockets...can't seem to remember...OH WAIT! Yes, I DO...
Pelosi, Clinton, Reid, Kerry, Kennedy sure seemed gamed to go to war. NUFF...
What she has said is not new so many Doctors say the same thing;...
Since the subject has been raised about the desirability of providing a new...
Sometimes people really don't see motorcyclists - it has happened to me more...
Jazz are wasting their time again. It is painful to be a Jazz fan right now....
Most all of these comments show total lack of understanding and education on...
Sorry people, especially those who negate Jackson greatness. The bottom line...
It was Les Olson Company. They do it every year and do a great job....
They are trying to launch missiles at us and they are almost hitting Japan...