Internet Online Summit: Focus on Children

This conference was held in Washington, D.C., on Dec 1-3, 1997

1. Executive Summary

The global Internet offers exciting new opportunities for children and families to research their homework online, communicate with international penpals, and build personal websites to share their creativity with others. But with these opportunities come challenges: how can children remain safe within this ever-expanding global village? Risks range from sites filled with misinformation to sites which expose users to illegal pornography. The problem of pedophiles and others who target children online is also a concern. In order to address these issues, law enforcement, the Internet and online industry, and families, libraries, schools, responsible corporations and community groups must work together.

Children may not understand these online risks, and parents may not be familiar enough with current technological and other solutions to these concerns. Key to bringing more families online, and keeping them online, is educating the parents about the range of available options. There are things parents can do to protect their children. Should they wish to, they can make choices about what their children may access online.

Industry must also continue to address these concerns with inexpensive and easy to use solutions and "child safe" zones. Making broad access to quality content on the Internet must be a community top priority, where all schools, libraries, community groups, responsible corporations and parents join forces to identify and implement appropriate solutions.

2. INTRODUCTION

The development of the Internet has been called the most profound change in the way we communicate since the invention of the printing press. Users can access an almost limitless array of rewarding content at the click of a mouse. Familiarity with this technology is vital to our children's future. For today's children to lead tomorrow's world, they must acquire the skills to access the enormous benefits of the Internet, safely. It is especially important that they develop key job skills and an awareness of the increasingly global community. The Internet can empower our children, giving them the ability to communicate and share ideas and information on a worldwide basis.

As wonderful as the future of the Internet may be, the extensive media coverage of various "potholes" on the Information Highway is not an exercise in fiction - there are problems which cannot be swept under the rug. These problems must be addressed squarely in order to protect our children and maximize the potential of the Internet.

The Internet Online Summit: Focus on Children Mission Statement identifies our common goal - to make our children's online experience safe, educational and entertaining, while honoring constitutional safeguards. A diverse group has put aside their differing philosophies in order to further this important goal. The Summit enables us to work together to encourage the evolution of the Internet as a truly beneficial medium for our children.

There are many issues affecting children and the Internet. These include equitable access, marketing and advertising practices, quality content, privacy, and safety from harmful content and illegal activity, among others. Each of these topics needs to be examined thoroughly. The mission of this first Summit, and, therefore, the focus of this paper, is personal safety and protecting children from illegal and harmful material online - in particular, the twin issues of access to our children by pedophiles and access to pornography by our children.

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