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On 21 December 1998, the Council of the EU adopted a multiannual Community action plan to promote safer use of the Internet by combating illegal and harmful content on global networks that the European Parliament had already approved on 17. November 1998. The action plan is intended to create an environment in Europe that is conducive to the development of the Internet industry by promoting safer use of the Internet, thereby supplementing other measures funded under the Community budget concerning the impact of the new technologies on the lives of citizens (Article 2). The action plan provides,...

The purpose of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, passed a few months ago, is to prohibit trafficking in, or the use of, children for the purposes of their sexual exploitation, and to prohibit the production, dissemination, handling or possession of child pornography. The Act, which is aimed particularly at the Internet, covers film, video, tapes, computer disks, and other forms of audio and visual representation, through any medium, or produced by or from computer graphics or any other electronic or mechanical means. The Internet is not specifically mentioned but the scope of the Act...

In the past month, Congress has passed several measures to promote electronic commerce and protect children using the Internet. Three such bills were attached to the Federal budget, which President Clinton is expected to sign shortly. The Internet Tax Freedom Act will prohibit state and local governments from imposing Internet access or bit taxes, as well as other "multiple or discriminatory taxes" on electronic transactions during a temporary moratorium. However, the bill will not prohibit taxation on gross or net income derived over the Internet or other non-transactional taxes. The Internet...

On 24 September the Council of the European Union formally adopted a Recommendation on the protection of minors and human dignity in audiovisual and information services. This marks the end of a long institutional process which began with the adoption of a Green Paper in 1996 ( see IRIS 1998-10: 4). The field of application of this new Community instrument is relatively extensive as it covers audiovisual and information services available to the public in any form. Broadcasting services are nevertheless excluded (these are already covered by the Directive on "Television without Frontiers"), as...

A section 177 order which proscribes Eurotica Rendez Vous came into force at Friday 11 September 1998. It is now a criminal offence to supply dedicated equipment ( e.g., smartcards) and programme material, advertise for or on Eurotica Rendez Vous, or to provide any other service in support of the channel within the UK. Section 177 of the Broadcasting Act 1990 enables the Secretary of State to "proscribe" or declare a foreign satellite service as unacceptable if the following conditions are met: (i) the Independent Television Commission has notified the Secretary of State it believes the service...