THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 19, 1996 TAG: 9601190636
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
Legislation intended to discourage computer services from offering sexually explicit material came under tough scrutiny by a House of Delegates committee Thursday.
The Corporations, Banking and Insurance Committee declined to endorse the so-called ``cyberporn'' legislation, sending it to a subcommittee for further study.
The bill, introduced by Del. Robert Marshall, R-Prince William County, would require credit card companies to disclose sexually explicit content on computer service billings. That means people who can view the worldwide Internet computer system through on-line services such as America Online or CompuServe would get credit card bills showing that the services provide access to smutty photos, graphics and written content.
The bill is intended to alert parents to what kind of material is available on line. Marshall said the General Assembly must protect children from ``material that would make the Marquis de Sade envious.''
``These companies, if they're smart, will provide a family friendly service that doesn't provide access to raw sewage,'' he said.
The commercial on-line services don't offer the sexually explicit materials themselves, but subscribers can download material via the Internet and the World Wide Web network.
The bill also would apply to phone services that offer sexually explicit software to computer users. Credit card companies would be required to document on billing statements when users order from companies that offer lewd material.
Marshall gave legislators a packet of materials found via computer online services and phone services. The packet included sadomasochistic pictures and raunchy material about pedophilia, torture and rape.
High-tech companies oppose the bill. Vienna-based America Online already has safeguards that allow parents to block children's access to the Internet, said Lucy Winkler, the company's public policy specialist. She also said the company would be forced to develop new technology to decipher which customers access sexually explicit material through the Internet.
``It would really have a huge impact on business, if we stay in business,'' she said.
Legislators expressed other concerns about the bill. Del. Jerrauld C. Jones, D-Norfolk, said he agreed on-line smut is a problem, but said he thought the U.S. Congress should enact legislation because the Internet is a worldwide network.
The bill also would require on-line services based in Virginia to post warning labels on the computer network that say sexually explicit material can be accessed, and it would require the companies' advertisements in Virginia to disclose that lewd content is available.
KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY by CNB