But it also has more potential for polarizing people in like-minded chat rooms. Government can assume the role of initiator of citizen involvement through grants and subsidies and through research on programs to increase the interaction of citizens and government and involve citizens in decision-making. Citizen participation in the process of democracy does not make money. Telecommunications policy needs to support Internet versions of C-SPAN and citizens' panels. We are concerned about misinformation on the Internet.
Misinformation leads to poor decision-making.
Our society has already shaped First Amendment rights and we believe these rights should apply equally to the Internet. There is a flip side to these rights, however. The First Amendment also allows anonymously maintained Web sites. We see moral integrity as an issue of personal responsibility. As a society, there may be certain materials or information that we consider unacceptable.