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The question of what constitutes appropriate content has been part of the story of every mass medium, from debates over the morality of lurid pulp-fiction books in the nineteenth century to arguments over the appropriateness of racist, sexist, and homophobic content in films and music. But, the biggest topic of debate has centered on sexually explicit content.

Public objection to indecent and obscene Internet content has led to various legislative efforts to tame the Web. For example, the Children’s Internet Protection Act of 2000 was passed and upheld in 2003. This act requires schools and libraries that receive federal funding for Internet access to use software that filters out any visual content deemed obscene, pornographic, or harmful to minors, unless disabled at the request of adult users. Yet regardless of laws, pornography continues to flourish on commercial sites, individuals’ blogs, and social networking pages.

Although the “back alleys of sex” of the Internet have caused considerable public concern, sites that carry potentially dangerous information (such as bomb-building instructions and hate speech) have also incited calls for Internet censorship. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, along with tragic incidents where armed, disturbed high school students massacred fellow students, have intensified debate about whether such information should be available on the Net.