Supporters say sites will be compelled to participate because all this software can be set to reject unrated Web pages. More than 35,000 sites have registered to use the ratings, which are recognized by Microsoft's Internet Explorer and a number of software filters. And Netscape has pledged to incorporate the ratings into its next Web browser. The obvious answer is included in a bill that U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington state, is planning to introduce. Her Childsafe Internet Act of 1997 would make it a crime to post an inaccurate rating on a Web site.
News sites present another problem.
Their pages change frequently and feature a wide variety of content, from bland stories about pending legislation to graphic descriptions of sex and violence. Otherwise, online news would be less accessible than an old fashioned newspaper. It's a First Amendment issue - the right to free speech. People have a right to free unfettered access to that kind of information. Besides, the First Amendment isn't restricted to reporters - it's there for every American citizen who's got something to say, online or off.