Crawford: Beware Of Web Rhetoric
Susan Crawford, special assistant to President Obama for science, technology and innovation policy, warned a federal advisory committee on Internet child safety on Thursday to be wary of several pitfalls as they begin their work. "Be reluctant to engage in overstated or overheated rhetoric. This issue makes tempers run high," Crawford told the inaugural meeting of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's Online Safety and Technology Working Group. In offering what she called an "administrative benediction," Crawford urged them to beware of three pitfalls:
• Avoid exaggerated statements about the risks to kids online. "There are risks but these risks may not be more significant from risks they face offline. The risks are far more subtle than popular media would have us believe," she said. Crawford also urged the panel to steer clear of anecdote and focus on concrete evidence "and what we know is happening to kids." Additionally she warned them not to demonize the Internet, which is the locus of enormous economic growth.
• Pay attention to legal precedent. "There's been lot of litigation in this area," Crawford said. "You should avoid insensitivity to constitutional concerns that have given rise to those cases." The past 13 years have seen a multitude of challenges to the Communications Decency Act and the Children's Online Protection Act, which led to the striking down of portions of those laws.
• Avoid technological mandates. "One thing we know is that government is not very good at requiring particular technology mandates," Crawford said. She noted that the Internet has seen robust competition and imposing heavy-handed, technological requirements could negatively impact that thriving marketplace.
Acting NTIA Administrator Anna Gomez also spoke to the group. "The riches of the Internet are not without risks, particularly for our most vulnerable citizens," she said. She noted that Obama has emphasized that children must be kept safe as they explore the virtual world and the administration wants to ensure that parents have the tools they need to respond effectively to Web threats their kids might face. The task force has June 2010 deadline to submit findings and recommendations to NTIA and Congress. For a full list of members, click here.
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