Within two hours of each other the Congress and the Senate passed the Communications bill intended to promote a free-for-all rivalry between local telephone companies, cable television operators and electric utilities. The bill heralds the future placement of the power for censorship in the hands of the viewer. It is a landmark provision.

Although on the face of it, the bill seems to place the same restrictions of censorship on operators, the V-chip (a chip television manufacturers will install in their television sets) puts the ultimate decision of censorship in the hands of parents allowing them to block undesirable programming. It is technology's first real contribution to human rights, making censorship a matter of personal choice.

The Communication bill hasn't stripped the government of all its power yet, but technology, the curse and blessing of our times, will soon claim another victim. Technology isn't merely replacing menial functions, but it's on its way to replacing governing ones.

The V-chip is still a product of government regulations, but manufacturers will continue to develop censorship devices as part of their overall plan. Censorship will no longer be a restriction, but a part of individual choice.



Copyright Cyclops Communications, Inc. 1999