American Civil Liberties Union

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an organization dedicated to protecting the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. In the following viewpoint, the ACLU argues that free speech is threatened by software programs that would rate or block controversial material on the Internet. These programs will censor objectionable speech by making it invisible on the Internet, the organization contends. The ACLU asserts that if these programs are allowed to filter content, the Internet’s diversity will be jeopardized and it could become a bland and homogenized medium.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How has a scenario to establish censorship on the Internet already been set in motion, according to the ACLU?
2. How does the ACLU illustrate its opinion that requiring citizens to self-rate their...