6.805 Assignments

MIT 6.805/STS085: Ethics and Law on the Electronic Frontier
in coordination with
Harvard Law School: Internet and Society
Fall Semester, 1999

Writing assignment due before class on Sept. 16:
Policy Analysis Memo

Write a 3-page policy analysis memo, addressing the impact on universities of the (mythical) "Safe Learning Internet Act of 1999", which is included below.

What is a policy analysis memo?

The public policy process is often seen through soundbites and stories about the questionable impact of political contributions. Yet along with power politics and media spin, someone has to actually understand the meaning an impact of particular policy proposals. A solid policy analysis memo provides a sound background against with the policy debate, and inevitable political rangling, can take place. A well constructed policy analysis memo will accomplish the following purposes:

Executive summary: A one-paragraph summary of your analysis.

The Proposal: An objective description of the proposal under discussion. Even if the goal of the author is to argue for or against a particular policy, it is important to describe the proposal accurately and honestly. Otherwise, the rest of the analysis will not be seen as credible.

Pros and Cons: What are the arguments on all sides for and against the proposal? Address effectiveness, moral/policy desirability, constitutional considerations and feasibility. Where possible, indicate who is likely to make, or actually has made, a given argument.

Conclusion: Summarize what you said, highlighting your most important points.

Your memo

In your memo, you should address the impact on large research universities of the following proposed bill. This is a modified version of a real bill currently before Congress: H.R. 368, The Safe Schools Internet Act of 1999. Our example uses the language of the real bill, but adds the paragraph on universities. You can look up the real bill at http://thomas.loc.gov

Remember that your analysis should deal with the impact on research universities, not with the entire bill.

106th CONGRESS

1st Session

A BILL

To require the installation of a system for filtering or blocking matter on the Internet on universities with students known to be under age 18.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Safe Learning Internet Act of 1999'.

SEC. 2. NO FEDERAL FUNDING SERVICE FOR SCHOOLS OR LIBRARIES THAT FAIL TO IMPLEMENT A FILTERING OR BLOCKING SYSTEM FOR COMPUTERS WITH INTERNET ACCESS.

(a) IN GENERAL- Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) is amended by adding at the end thereof the following:

`(l) IMPLEMENTATION OF A FILTERING OR BLOCKING SYSTEM-

`(1) IN GENERAL- No services may be provided under subsection (h)(1)(B) to any elementary school, secondary school, or any library, and no federal research funding may be awarded to any university, unless it provides the certification required by paragraph (2), (3), or (4) respectively.

`(2) CERTIFICATION FOR SCHOOLS- Before receiving universal service assistance under subsection (h)(1)(B), an elementary or secondary school (or the school board or other authority with responsibility for administration of that school) shall certify to the Commission that it has--

`(A) selected a system for computers with Internet access to filter or block matter deemed to be inappropriate for minors; and

`(B) installed, or will install as soon as it obtains computers with Internet access, a system to filter or block such matter.

`(3) CERTIFICATION FOR LIBRARIES- Before receiving universal service assistance under subsection (h)(1)(B), a library that has a computer with Internet access shall certify to the Commission that, on one or more of its computers with Internet access, it employs a system to filter or block matter deemed to be inappropriate for minors. If a library that makes a certification under this paragraph changes the system it employs or ceases to employ any such system, it shall notify the Commission within 10 days after implementing the change or ceasing to employ the system.

`(4) CERTIFICATION FOR UNIVERSITIES-Any university will be ineligible to receive federal research funds unless it certifies that it has made good-faith efforts to ensure that any computer or networking access it provides to students known to be under the age of 18 employs a system to filter or block material deemed to be inappropriate for minors.

`(5) LOCAL DETERMINATION OF CONTENT- For purposes of paragraphs (2), (3), and (4), the determination of what matter is inappropriate for minors shall be made by the school, school board, library, university, or other authority responsible for making the required certification. No agency or instrumentality of the United States Government may--

`(A) establish criteria for making that determination;

`(B) review the determination made by the certifying school, school board, library, university, or other authority; or

`(C) consider the criteria employed by the certifying school, school board, library, university, or other authority in the administration of subsection (h)(1)(B) or the awarding of federal university funding.'.

(b) CONFORMING CHANGE- Section 254(h)(1)(B) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(h)(1)(B)) is amended by striking `All telecommunications' and inserting `Except as provided by subsection (l), all telecommunications'.

Mechanics

You should turn in your paper on-line. Send copies to by email to all three people: hal@mit.edu, mfischer@mit.edu, and djweitzner@w3.org. This must be received before class on September 16. Send your paper as ordinary ASCII text. Do not send documents formatted as HTML or Microsoft Word attachments: these will be returned unread.

Please note that your papers will be graded on the quality of your writing as well as the quality of your analysis. Mechanical errors in spelling or grammar will lead to low grades, or in some cases, refusal to accept the paper until the writing quality has been improved.

Return to course calendar

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Hal Abelson (hal@mit.edu)
Mike Fischer (mfischer@mit.edu)
Danny Weitzner (djweitzner@w3.org)
Jonathan Zittrain (zittrain@law.harvard.edu)

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Last modified: September 16 1999, 8:40 AM

MIT 6.805/STS085: Ethics and Law on the Electronic Frontier in coordination with Harvard Law School: Internet and Society Fall Semester, 1999