DO the following:  

There are two parts to this exercise: PREPARATION and DISCUSSION.

PREPARATION—READ each of the articles. ANSWER the questions.  Remember, not all the answers are in the linked readings. You may have to search on your own.

TOPIC #1 (SPEECH): The Child Online Protection Act (COPA).

Read: ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL v. AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION et al., No. 03-218. Argued March 2, 2004--Decided June 29, 2004.  Read the summary at the beginning through (a) and (b). http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&navby=case&vol=000&invol=03-218;

1.  What was the COPA?
2.  According to the Supreme Court what was wrong with the COPA?
3.  Does it matter if it’s on TV or on the internet? Why?
4.  If you could censor one type of media content, what would it be?  Why? (If you said “none” why not?)
5.  What else in the telecommunication world besides things that are “harmful to minors” might present a problem to legislators?  Why?

Also read what the trial court found in 2007 in http://www.paed.uscourts.gov/documents/opinions/07D0346P.pdf (read the summary at the beginning and the “conclusions of law,” pp. 62 through the end)

1.  Who did the ACLU sue?
2.  What was wrong with the COPA?
3.  How is this case like the Supreme Court case that struck down criminalization of burning the American flag?

Read about net neutrality: http://www.aclu.org/freespeech/internet/26829res20070405.html

1.  What is net neutrality (include the guiding principles)?
2.  Why is net neutrality an issue? What are businesses doing to restrict access to the internet or restrict content.
3.  What is being done to try to retain content protections?
4.  Can there be “free speech” problems with other technologies besides the internet? Explain.