May 5, 1999

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E

May 5, 1999

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PRESIDENT CLINTON AND VICE PRESIDENT GORE:
KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE ON THE INTERNET

"Today, I am proud to announce...a new parents' protection page...a series of protective tools to... help ensure that children aren't surfing into dangerous waters when they surf the Web."

President Bill Clinton
May 5, 1999

Today, at the White House, Vice President Gore announced the parents' protection page, an important new commitment by Internet companies to give parents the resources to protect their children from inappropriate material on the Internet. The parents' protection page will provide parents with the tools and knowledge to supervise and guide their children's online activities.

Helping Parents Protect Their Children. Vice President Al Gore today announced the parents' protection page, a commitment by leading Internet companies that will enable parents to expose their children to the vast educational potential of the Internet while keeping them safe from inappropriate material. The page will feature a comprehensive guide containing tools, tips, and resources for safe surfing on the Internet. Slated to become available by July, the page will be accessible by a single click from virtually all major web sites.

Providing Tools for Families. The parents' protection page will provide instant access to as many as 80 tools representing the latest technologies that allow parents to take charge of their home computer. These tools will allow parents to:

deploy the latest blocking and filtering technologies to limit access to inappropriate content including violent game sites, hate groups, and other material parents believe are inappropriate for their children;
monitor which websites and chat rooms their children have visited;
restrict their children's e-mail contacts; and
set time limits on their children's online sessions.

Offering Valuable Information. In addition to helping parents filter out inappropriate material, the parents' protection page will also provide:

information on how to report crime or other troubling activity on line;
a guide to high quality online content that is educational and beneficial to kids; and
safety tips for parents, teens, and children which offer guidelines and suggestions for safe surfing.

Guiding Parents through the Web. The Vice President also announced that parents can receive a copy of the Department of Education's publication, "Parents' Guide to the Internet." This guide teaches parents the fundamentals of using the Internet and supervising their children's online activities. It can be obtained by calling 1-800 USA-LEARN.