Brief Fact Summary. The federal government regulated sexually explicit material on the Internet by prohibiting it unless the website could obtain the user’s age verification.
Synopsis of Rule of Law. A regulation may not burden adult speech in order to protect minors if there is a less restrictive alternative available to achieve the goal.
The Government may not reduce the adult population to reading only what is fit for children.
View Full Point of LawIssue. Is the regulation of the Internet for indecent material constitutional?
Held. No. The regulation is a content-based restriction that is vaguely written. By restricting access to minors, this regulation suppresses a large amount of speech that adults have a right to receive. The regulation as written prohibits individuals from posting indecent material on their own computers and ignores the fact that some material may have real value as communication.
Discussion. The regulation is vague because it does not provide a clear definition of indecent and patently offensive expressions on the Internet. It is not clear that both indecent and obscene materials are being outlawed or that one is meant over the other.