Responses to the pernicious influences of mainstream pornography on its viewers fall into two main sorts: regulation and education. Pornography has long been a core topic in analytic feminist philosophy, but it has largely focused on issues around regulation, in particular with trying to undermine arguments against regulation on the grounds that…

While freedom of speech is a defining characteristic of the United States, the First Amendment right is often regulated within certain environments. For years, schools have attempted to monitor and regulate student communication both within the educational environment and in student use of social media and other online communication tools.…

One central controversy with youth sexting is that adolescents may be prosecuted under child pornography and obscenity statutes that were originally created to protect children from sexual exploitation perpetrated by adults and do not adequately address consensual teen behavior. Due to this concern, many states have implemented laws specifically…

Incorrect access to Web site addresses and spam e-mails are continuing to make pornography rampant on the Internet at schools, homes and libraries. Collectively, parents, teachers and members of communities must become more aware of the risks and consequences of open access to the Internet, and the distinction between censorship and Internet…

A collection of 12 articles, this yearbook focuses on freedom of speech and censorship. The topics covered include (1) common law tort and contract erosion of the at will rule, (2) the Supreme Court and the First Amendment in 1983-1984, (3) a phenomenological analysis of the First Amendment and the issue of obscenity, (4) John Milton's attack on…

Discusses the control of pornography on the Internet. Highlights include the Communications Decency Act (CDA); "Time" magazine's article on cyberporn and critiques of it; the unconstitutionality of the CDA under First Amendment protection of free speech; and non-legislative software solutions, including PICS (Platform for Internet…

Argues that there is no principled way to distinguish between the language used in the television program "Scared Straight" and that used by comedian George Carlin on radio station WBAI-FM, ruled indecent by the Supreme Court in "FCC v. Pacifica Foundation." (FL)

Advances in media technology, specifically the videotape industry, have made pornography widely available. Opponents of pornography include religious groups, law enforcement officers, some politicians, and some feminists. A distinction is made between eroticism (occurring between consenting participants) and pornography (signifying overt or covert…

The availability of objectionable material on the Internet creates a conflict between the rights of computer users and universities. This article examines free speech and censorship; highlights responses by Carnegie Mellon University, University of Oklahoma, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and University of Pittsburgh; and proposes a…

Many college faculty and students are upset by a Senate measure limiting obscenity on the Internet, feeling it would damage the network and infringe on free speech rights. The current measure seeks to punish individuals distributing items deemed offensive, but generally protects system operators. (MSE)

Discusses the appropriateness and legality of Internet filters in any type of library and suggests that there is a much less tenable legal justification for Internet filters in academic libraries. Topics include freedom of speech; pornography versus obscenity; sexual harassment; applicable court cases; and acceptable use policies. (LRW)

One of the most perplexing realities concerning the attitudes of American citizens toward the proper or desired role of government in society has been an almost schizophrenic mindset for demanding less government, at least in the abstract, while at the same time asking more of that same government in the particular. If, for example, one asks the…

Updating a 1984 publication, this bibliography lists and briefly annotates 35 selected books (published from 1957 to 1987) about the censorship of sexual materials from ancient times to the present. A list of five reference sources is included for those who wish to add materials from periodicals. (SR)

Exchange of obscene materials on college computer networks is raising free-speech issues and concern about public response. Standards of conduct for computer use by faculty, administrators, and students are under consideration on a number of campuses. Legality of the materials and appropriate use of institutional resources are also issues. (MSE)

The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down parts of the Communications Decency Act as violating the First Amendment. The law was predicted to wreak havoc on the Internet and connected campus computer networks. The 1996 law was aimed at protecting children from pornography but threatened the availability of a wide range of materials,…