Crs Report for Congress Received through the Crs Web Internet : An Overview of Key Technology Policy Issues Affecting Its Use and Growth Updated April 13, 2005

By Smith, Marcia S.

Book Id: WPLBN0000713873
Format Type: PDF eBook:
File Size: 0.2 MB
Reproduction Date: 2008

Title:	Crs Report for Congress Received through the Crs Web Internet : An Overview of Key Technology Policy Issues Affecting Its Use and Growth Updated April 13, 2005
Author:	Smith, Marcia S.
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Government publications, Legislation., Government Printing Office (U.S.)
Collections:	Government Library Collection
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	Government Printing Office


Citation APA MLA Chicago S. Smit, B. M. (n.d.). Crs Report for Congress Received through the Crs Web Internet : An Overview of Key Technology Policy Issues Affecting Its Use and Growth Updated April 13, 2005. Retrieved from http://www.self.gutenberg.org/

Excerpt
Summary: In the decade between 1994 and 2004, the number of U.S. adults using the Internet increased from 15% to 64%. From electronic mail to accessing information to online purchasing (“electronic commerce”), the Internet touches almost every aspect of modern life. The extent to which use of the Internet continues to grow, however, may be affected by a number of technology policy issues being debated in Congress. First is the availability of high-speed -- or “broadband” -- Internet access. Broadband Internet access gives users the ability to send and receive data at speeds far greater than Internet access over traditional telephone lines. With deployment of broadband technologies accelerating, Congress is seeking to ensure fair competition and timely broadband deployment to all sectors and geographical locations of American society.

Table of Contents
Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Background: Internet Usage and E-Commerce Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Internet Usage in the United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Number of Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Geographic Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 International Internet Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 E-Commerce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Broadband Internet Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Easing Restrictions and Requirements on Incumbent Telephone Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Unbundling and Resale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Open Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Federal Assistance for Broadband Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Computer and Internet Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Internet Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Collection of Data by Website Operators and Fair Information Practices . . 11 Commercial Websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Federal Websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Spyware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Identity Theft and “Phishing” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Monitoring of E-Mail and Web Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 By Government and Law Enforcement Officials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 By Employers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 By E-Mail Service Providers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 “Spam”: Unsolicited Commercial Electronic Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Protecting Children from Unsuitable Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Internet Domain Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Top Level Domains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Trademark Disputes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Government Information Technology Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 The Federal Communications Commission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Information Technology R&D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Electronic Government (E-Government) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Open Source Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .