Kids Rights Now

A letter to my congressman* asking him to protect Kids' Rights* in getting access to ISPs. Written on 2000-3-28*.

I am writing to you on the important issue of youth rights. Sadly, while the rights of Americans have been supported on many other occasions, the rights of children have been largely ignored.

Internet Service Providers and Web sites must be pressured to provide equal access for everyone, including children. Unfortunately, recent legislation has been moving in the opposite direction -- forcing websites to prevent children from accessing some sites on the Internet.

For children clever enough to be able to access such sites, this poses little problem -- it just forces them to misrepresent themselves as adults. Why should our laws force children to be something they're not?

Internet Service Providers often fear lawsuits for offering accounts to children without permission. This is why ISPs must be legally treated like telephone companies and other media providers. They must become "common carriers" making the crimes the fault of those who committed them, not the unrelated ISP.

It should be the responsibility of parents, and only parents, to regulate their children's use of the Internet. If children are technically able to purchase and set up an Internet connection, why shouldn't they be able to legally? There are no laws against children purchasing toys, gum or CDs with explicit lyrics, why is the Internet any different?

For more information about this important subject, I suggest you visit the Nauthiz website at:

Thank you for your time and I hope you understand my side of the issue.

Part of LogicError. Powered by Blogspace, an Aaron Swartz project. Email the webmaster with problems.