May the Child Online Protection Act Rely on Community Standards to Identify Material that is Harmful to Minors?

Authors

Susanna Frederick Fischer, The Catholic University, Columbus School of LawFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2001

Abstract

The Communications Decency Act, the government's previous attempt to protect minors from online pornography, was struck down in 1997 on the grounds that it required Internet content to be judged by the standards of the community most likely to be offended by it. Now the Court has agreed to review the constitutionality of the new Child Online Protection Act, which seeks to address the Court's free-speech concerns by regulating Web communications in a manner similar to existing laws restricting minors' access to print pornography.

Recommended Citation

Susanna Frederick Fischer, May the Child Online Protection Act Rely on Community Standards to Identify Material that is Harmful to Minors?, 2001-2002 PREVIEW U.S. SUP. CT. CAS. 170 (2001).