WWW: Beyond the Basics

5. Freedom of Speech

5.9. Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS)

The v-chip blocks television broadcasts based on ratings applied by various organizations. PICS claims to be better (Resnick and Miller, 1996). PICS allows the supervisor of some organization (family, corporation, business, government, etc.) to choose what comes in and what doesn't. PICS operates on a methodology called flexible blocking, based on the supervisor, the recipient, and the context in the given situation. It can replace the current mostly ineffective censorship methodology in place.

PICS is not software or hardware; it is a set of technical specifications that allow software and rating services to work together (PICS compatible filtering software will work with PICS compatible rating services). There already exists a whole host of PICS compatible software. It works with gopher, ftp, and http, but not email.

PICS provides a common format for labels so that any PICS compliant software can process any PICS compliant label. PICS labels describe content. Different rating services can apply the ratings for the labels. The rating services provide the language of the label. Each rating service can choose its own labeling vocabulary. "Coolness" and "Boredom" could be included along with "Sexual Content" or whatever the service chooses to have in its vocabulary. Selection software will decide access, based on the labels and ratings. A simple pictorial example can be found on a set of pages describing Platform for Internet Content Selection. The pages also contain a listing of corporate supporters of PICS (World Wide Web Consortium, 1995).

Generally the web page developer would choose a rating service for their web sites. The author can, if so desired, devise a unique rating system, but then responsibility is assumed for legal measures ensuring honest representation of the site. Selection software can block any labeling scheme that does not conform to its settings. This would permit access to be restricted to any independently rated material, or any unlabeled documents. In addition, independent organizations can provide third party ratings where necessary; if the content providers are unwilling to self-rate, or if the content providers have given dishonest ratings (reported by a customer to an unnamed authority).

Selection software can also limit access to specific sites. For example a science teacher may want students only at the appropriate class web site and not surfing. The software could be configured to accept only sites with the school specific label. Hospitals, work situations, and other organizations could use labeling the same way. This access only to certain sites paradigm, while appearing like another free speech infringement, already exists legally in many areas. A paper chooses which articles to print and which ads to run. A cable company chooses which stations to carry in its repertoire. A radio talk show host chooses who gets to speak on the air, and for how long. Each of these entities has an owner, who is the "speaker" expressing his free speech (in essence selecting items that are liked and "censoring" items that are disliked). This viewpoint has been upheld in court numerous times.

The market demand for fast and accurate web site ratings will dictate how far these schemes advance. With the uproar that continues today, the indications are good that the development of rating and filtering services will continue. The filtering and rating services allow for regulation without infringement on absolute free speech for those who desire it. Freedom of speech battles would now be contained in local, manageable situations.

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Copyright © 1996 Mike McGee, All Rights Reserved

Mike McGee <mmcgee@vt.edu>
Last modified: Thu Nov 27 13:13:33 1996