IP: EFF press release for IFEA

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

EFF Joins Internet Free Expression Alliance;
Opposes Internet Censorship


For Immediate Release
December 1, 1997


Contact:        Electronic Frontier Foundation


                Shari Steele, Staff Attorney
                301.375.8856
                ssteele () eff org


                Stanton McCandlish, Program Director
                415.436.9333
                mech () eff org




Washington, DC -- The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) announces its 
membership in the Internet Free Expression Alliance (IFEA), a new 
coalition determined to fight online censorship, including censorship 
imposed by poorly crafted labeling and filtering schemes.  EFF is 
committed to ensuring that any limitations on Internet speech uphold the 
values of privacy, security and freedom of expression.


To further this goal of protecting civil liberties online, EFF advances 
the following public interest principles:


1.  Each individual user should be aware of and have control over the 
personal information that is known about him or her by filtration 
providers.  This does not include statistical or system data that cannot 
be linked back to the user.


2.  No personal information about children online should be 
automatically made known to other users.


3.  Consumers should easily be able to determine the criteria that is 
used by different filtering, rating and labeling systems.


4.  Users of filtration technologies should be notified whenever their 
web use is being monitored or recorded.


5.  Parents and others setting up filtration technologies must have the 
final say about what information should or should not be filtered.


6.  Since there are undoubtedly going to be mistakes made with respect 
to filtering, rating and labeling decisions, there must be efficient 
avenues available for people who feel that they have been mislabeled, 
inappropriately blocked, or otherwise treated unjustly.


7.  A filtering service should not alter the content of a site unless 
the user is aware of and desires the alteration.


8.  No rating or labeling system developed should place an unduly heavy 
burden on individual creators of online information.


9.  Those who would legislate filtering, rating and labeling systems 
should recognize that many communities of varying cultural mores and 
standards exist.


10.  Developers of filtering technologies should recognize that their 
products may be used by a governmental body to censor what its populace 
sees.  The goal of ease of use should never take precedence over the 
protection of the rights of individuals in any nation to access 
information online.


“The Internet is an amazing medium for finding all kinds of speech, 
whether it be about the Mars space landing or breast cancer,” explained 
EFF Staff Attorney Shari Steele.  “While some speech may be 
inappropriate for children, particularly young children, that same 
speech may be constitutionally protected for adults.  In our zeal to 
protect our children from accessing adult materials, we must be careful 
not to jeopardize the basic rights of adults to speak freely online.”


The Internet Free Expression Alliance is opposed to the adoption of 
techniques that could limit the vibrancy and openness of the Internet as 


a communications medium.  Other members of IFEA include the American 
Civil Liberties Union, National Writers Union, American Society of 
Newspaper Editors, Electronic Privacy Information Center, Computer 
Professionals for Social Responsibility, Institute for Global 
Communications, First Amendment Project, Feminists for Free Expression, 
Journalism Education Association, National Campaign for Freedom of 
Expression, National Coalition Against Censorship, NetAction, Peacefire, 
z publishing, Bolt Reporter, Boston Coalition for Freedom of Expression, 
International Periodical Distributors Association, National Association 
of Artists Organizations, Publishers Marketing Association, and Society 
of Professional Journalists.  Information about the Internet Free 
Expression Alliance can be found at http://www.ifea.net.


The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is a nonprofit public interest 
organization devoted to the protection of online privacy and free 
expression.  EFF was founded in 1990 and is based in San Francisco, 
California.  EFF maintains an extensive archive of information on 
privacy and free speech at http://www.eff.org.










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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- Ben Franklin, ~1784
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