Infotechpaper

Information Technology Acts Paper

Children Internet Protection Act 2000

The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) was passed by Congress in 2000. This act provided for internet safety policies and restrictions, via the internet, on materials considered harmful to children. This included hard pornography, sadistic violence / torture and other materials deemed unsuitable for the protection of young children. The ethical concept being one of ‘a healthy mind in a healthy body’. Children have access to the internet for a wide variety of educational purposes but certain sites are considered damaging and inappropriate for the education of young minds. (US Dep't of Commerce., 2003).

The Government recognized how important role the internet plays as a world wide source of information to support educational needs. Nevertheless, there was both a moral and ethical awareness to protect young children from a range of unsuitable material like pornography, racial hatred sites, and those sites that make them vulnerable to online predators. Hence policies looked at identification, filtering and blocking of these sites. As such Congress in recognition of these safety needs adopted a comprehensive strategy that resulted in the passing of the CIPA act. (US Dep't of Commerce., 2003).

Educational institutions are expected to comply with the Act and obtain two important certification requirements: (i) Internet safety policy adoption for minors and (ii) provision for educating minors on the behaviour and dangers when interacting through social network media and chartrooms, with particular emphasis on cyber bullying and recognition of predatory behaviour. Schools and the libraries are severely expected to demonstrate their compliance with these important safety requirements and regulations. Research indicates that both parents and schools have been both widely supportive in accepting these policies. (Federal Communications Commission, 2012).

Children’s Online Privacy...