Classroom discussions: policies and responsibilities of Internet Service Providers

Since the early to mid 1990s, with the advent of easy to use browser software, the Internet has become available to those outside the community of researchers and knowledgeable users. Currently, anyone with computing and some type of networking capability is able to connect to the internet: some still through University and work-place links, others through internet Service Providers (ISPs). For their customers, these ISP provide an entry point into the Internet and may control or monitor activities on the Internet. Additionally, since the Internet is an international network, it should not be overlooked that some governments control access or the ISPs, which presents a different set of issues than those encountered in the United States. The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness of policies and responsibilities of Internet Service Providers related to usage of the Internet. It is suggested that these issues be incorporated in classroom discussions. Some of the topics which may be explored by using ISPs policies in an educational setting are intellectual property concerns, 'cookies,' third party sites and access, collection of personal information - what, how and usage, security of information, regulation of children's access to the Internet, globalization issues and legal issues arising with the use of an ISP to access the Internet.