Luncheon Speeches and Rating Systems Panel

As part of the Internet conference, “Focus on Children,” Daniel Okrent of Time-Warner, prior to introducing Commerce Secretary William Daley, explained why he opposes self-regulation by Internet service providers. Secretary Daley explained that the administration’s approach to electronic commerce is that the private sector should lead and that future government intervention should be contractual rather than regulatory. He also touched on the need to keep children safe from Internet dangers while preserving free speech. Laura Jennings of Microsoft Corp. talked about Microsoft’s Internet browsing software. Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia) read a statement from House Speaker Newt Gingrich praising the Internet for its educational potential and asking conference attendees to find a non-regulatory solution to the dangers of the Internet. After his prepared remarks, Rep. Goodlatte took questions from the luncheon audience. close