CDR: U.S. Justice Department, Leading Technology Association Launch Web Site...

[Declan McCullagh]

>Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 17:27:04 -0400 (EDT)
>From: mds at mds.prwire.com
>To: mds at mds02.prwire.com
>Reply-To: mds at mds02.prwire.com, news at prwire.com
>X-JID: 602169
>Subject: U.S. Justice Department, Leading Technology Association Launch 
>Web Site...
>
>
>
>    U.S. Justice Department, Leading Technology Association Launch Web Site
>                   To Teach Children Responsible Computer Use
>
>               Offers Parents, Educators Back-To-School Tools To
>                         Teach Kids About Online Ethics
>
>     ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- As America's children go back to
>school, The Cybercitizen Partnership, a joint effort by the U.S. Department of
>Justice and the Information Technology Association of America Foundation
>(ITAA), the nation's leading technology association, today launched a new Web
>site for parents and educators designed to teach kids the right ways to use
>the Internet.
>     The new Web site -- http://www.cybercitizenship.org -- represents a major
>national effort to provide teachers, parents and their children with a new
>learning tool -- responsible computer use.  The Web site is initially focused
>on providing support for parents, and will expand to assist teachers and
>appeal to kids.
>     "Young people are growing up in a society where the Internet is 
> central to
>everything from commerce to recreation," said U.S. Attorney General Janet
>Reno.  "Unfortunately, criminal activity exists online just as it does on the
>streets.  As children learn basic rules about right and wrong in the off-line
>world, they must also learn about acceptable behavior on the Internet."
>     "This is a first-of-its kind government/private sector initiative to help
>kids realize that the rules of the road in the off-line world also apply in
>the online world," said ITAA President Harris N. Miller.  "As the Internet
>becomes more important to our daily lives, this initiative will help kids make
>informed decisions about online behavior."
>     The Cybercitizen Partnership was formed last year to focus national
>attention on cyber social behavior and the importance of teaching young
>computer users to recognize that, in addition to protecting themselves from
>the more unsavory and potentially dangerous behavior found in parts of the
>Internet, they must understand that, when online, they are responsible for
>their own actions and that these actions have consequences both for themselves
>and others.  The same standards of ethics expected in the off-line world must
>be applied to the online world.  The Web site will provide parents with
>several tools including:
>
>     *  Teachable Moments:  Tips to help parents use real-life events, news
>stories and examples to help them talk to their kids about the
>responsibilities they must accept when using the Internet;
>
>     *  Links:  Relevant sites to connect parents to other programs and
>organizations offering helpful information;
>
>     *  Logo:  A kid-friendly character, created specifically for The
>Cybercitizen Partnership, that reminds young computer users to "Surf Like A
>Hero, Not A Zero"
>
>     *  Current Events: Useful news coverage on cyber ethics and cyber crimes
>and a calendar of events for educational programs;
>
>     *  White Paper:  A situation analysis and call-to-action addressing the
>need to educate children about responsible cyber social behavior;
>
>     *  Ask The Experts:  A list of experts on cyber ethics, who will be
>available to respond to email inquiries from visitors to the site.
>
>     "Now that students have rapidly increasing access to the Internet at
>school and at home, the key is to excite them while teaching them the right
>way to use the new medium," said Van B. Honeycutt, president and CEO of
>Computer Sciences Corporation and chairman of The Cybercitizen Partnership.
>"Our children represent the future technology workforce, which is why it's so
>important for industry to play a major role in helping kids learn responsible
>cyber behavior."
>     The Web site will evolve and eventually include:  a directory of
>educational initiatives across the country dedicated to integrating messages
>about responsible cyber social behavior; new links to valuable Web sites; and
>interactive tools for parents and teachers on cyber ethics.
>     Announced in March of 1999 by the U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, The
>Cybercitizen Partnership serves as an umbrella organization to identify cyber
>social behavior initiatives and to help create a movement to address legal and
>ethical issues online.  Current supporters of the program include: Computer
>Sciences Corporation (www.csc.com ); Oracle (www.oracle.com );
>www.onehealthbank.com ; MERANT (www.merant.com ); Mirus Information Systems
>(www.mirusinfo.com ); Stanford Consulting Group, Cyveillance, Inc., iDefense
>(www.idefense.com ), the Recording Industry Association of America
>(www.RIAA.com ) and BITS, the Technology Group for the Financial Services
>sector (www.bankersround.org ).
>
>     About ITAA
>     The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) provides global
>public policy, business networking, and national leadership to promote the
>continued rapid growth of the IT industry.  ITAA consists of 400 direct and
>26,000 affiliate corporate members throughout the U.S., and a global network
>of 41 countries' IT associations.  The Association plays the leading role in
>issues of IT industry concern including information security, taxes and
>finance policy, digital intellectual property protection, telecommunications
>competition, workforce and education, immigration, online privacy and consumer
>protection, government IT procurement, human resources and e-commerce policy.
>ITAA members range from the smallest IT start-ups to industry leaders in the
>Internet, software, IT services, ASP, digital content, systems integration,
>telecommunications, and enterprise solution fields.  For more information
>visit www.itaa.org .
>
>SOURCE  Information Technology Association of America
>     -0-                             09/05/2000
>     /CONTACT:  Bob Cohen of Information Technology Association of America,
>703-284-5301, bcohen at itaa.org; Elissa Lumley of Fleishman-Hillard,
>202-828-8845, lumleye at fleishman.com, for Information Technology Association of
>America; or Chris Watney of U.S. Justice Department, 202-514-2007,
>chris.j.watney at usdoj.gov/
>     /Web sites:  http://www.cybercitizenship.org
>                  http://www.itaa.org/