A three-day hearing opens before U.S. District Judge Lowell A. Reed. In November, Reed temporarily blocked enforcement of the law. A ruling is expected by Feb. 1, when the restraining order expires.
Supporters say the law is a sensible way to keep Internet pornography away from children.
Unlike the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which was struck down by the Supreme Court on First Amendment grounds, the new law applies only to commercial Web sites. Add your comments to the bottom of this page. We want to do the same thing in cyberspace with respect to the World Wide Web. The ACLU has argued that the law, signed by President Clinton in October, violates the First Amendment and could be used to prosecute gays, AIDS activists or doctors distributing gynecological information. Others are concerned that a bill aimed mainly at pornographic Web sites might inadvertently snare mainstream sites, especially as the Internet becomes an entertainment medium that could include movies.