Charles Levendosky

Charles Levendosky is the editor of the Casper (Wyoming) Star-Tribune and a noted commentator on First Amendment issues. In the following viewpoint, Levendosky argues that the Child Online Protection Act (COPA)—a law passed by Congress in late 1998 to prevent children from being exposed to pornography online—is unconstitutional. The First Amendment prohibits Congress from passing any law censoring free speech, and yet, Levendosky maintains, this is exactly what COPA does. Furthermore, he contends that limiting the Internet only to material that does not offend children places an unacceptable limit on free speech. An injunction against the COPA was upheld by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in June 2000.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What law regulating online pornography was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1997, according to the author?
2. What...