by Internet Free Expression Alliance

About the author: The Internet Free Expression Alliance is a group of organizations committed to protecting free speech on the Internet.

Editor’s note: This viewpoint was excerpted from a statement submitted to the National Commission on Library and Information Science on December 14, 1998.

Undeniably, the Internet provides access to knowledge and expression in ways never before possible. It is a venue where “any person can become a town crier with a voice that resonates farther than it could from any soapbox,” as the

U.S. Supreme Court observed in 1997 in its landmark decision in Reno v. ACLU. From remote learning classes to digital art museums to library collections and news from all over the world, Internet technologies provide an essential tool for learning and communication.

Exaggerated Claims

Recognizing the increased use...