New controls on teen, child Web access backed, despite First Amendment concerns

WASHINGTON — The 7-2 Supreme Court ruling striking down California's video game law did not dissuade advocates of new and perhaps broader laws to prohibit teenagers and children from access to objectionable Internet sites and perhaps even text messages. The court ruling was the latest in a years-long series of judgments finding Internet restrictions and censorship are trumped by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. But for proponents of the Do Not Track Online Act of 2011, First Amendment concerns are not a problem. At the very moment the Supreme Court was handing down its decision, a panel was……

CCLP panel explores technology and education with FCC Chairman Genachowski

On Tuesday, September 21, CCLP Director Geoffrey Cowan (pictured, right) led a discussion on the intersection of technology and education in the 21st century. The panel, featuring FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski (left), kicked off a half-day event called "Back to School: Learning in a Digital Age," sponsored by USC Annenberg's Center on Communication Leadership (CCLP), Common Sense Media, PBS Kids and The Children's Partnership. Leaders in technology and education discussed the benefits of equipping children and educators digitally – both inside and outside of the classroom. "The need far exceeds the risk," said Genachowski. "When our schools win, our country……