Chapter 2: Regulating the Net: Free Speech and Content Control

“PICS: Internet Access Controls Without Censorship” (Paul Resnick and James Miller)

Learning Expectations:

            To gain more knowledge in regulating information in the Internet.

Quote:

            “When publishers are unwilling to participate, or can't be trusted to participate honestly, independent organizations can provide third-party labels. For example, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which is concerned about Nazi propaganda and other hate speech, could label materials that are historically inaccurate or promote hate. Third-party labeling systems can also express features that are of concern to a limited audience. For example, a teacher might label a set of astronomical photographs and block access to everything else for the duration of a science lesson.”

Book Review:

            PICS (Platform for Internet Content Selection) aims to manage labels on the Internet to efficiently distribute appropriate information to users. Basically, it is a good thing since this regulation will screen the information displayed on the Internet for specific individuals. A computer administrator can easily configure which labels are allowed for access to each computer user.

            But, PICS later showed its weakness. First of all, the authority to set standards seems vague because it is quite easy to find ways to breach the security of a system. As stated in the paper, for instance, a parent sets a configuration list on a browser for allowed sites to be visited by his children, but the children of today is getting smarter, children may opt to install another browser to view sites restricted by their parents.

            PICS failed to perceive its potential to regulate access to certain sites. The computer world is getting far more complex every minute. I hope it is still possible in the near future to regulate access in the Internet for different audiences. For the internet population is getting more and more obscene.

Integrative Questions:

1. When was PICS established?
2. What are the major weaknesses of PICS?
3. What could be done to patch up this weaknesses?