Internet Pornography on Rise; University Lacking Policy

Last Friday, a Harvard student brought his computer to the Office of Information Technology (OIT) for repair.

For him, it was a mistake. As they fixed the computer, OIT engineers found pornographic material in one of his files, according to police sources and an office employee who was there.

At first, the student denied that the pornography was his. Later, however, he told OIT workers a different story.

Harvard, it turned out, had helped him get the material. He found it over the University's link to the Internet, a global data communication network.

Giving students greater access to pornography is one important but unintended consequence of Harvard's push to put more of undergraduates on the network, computer users say.

"Pornography is really easy to get because there are no real rules," says Jeff C. Tarr '96, a co-founder of the student technology group Digitas. "Harvard has no restrictions...because it is all public information."

University officials acknowledge that they have few rules to govern illicit material taken off the network. Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 says the Administrative Board, Harvard's disciplinary body, has never seen a case of Internet pornography.

"The issue has never come to my attention before," he says.

In last Friday's case, the University made a brief effort to act. Harvard police were called to the scene, and officers questioned the student.

But he was released and not charged. Harvard Police Lt. John F. Rooney, head of the criminal investigations division, says "nothing of a criminal nature" was found and that the allegations were "not substantiated."

Police Chief Paul E. Johnson says he could not explain what constitutes illegal pornography. "I couldn't get very technical on that," he says.

Students say it is not uncommon for undergraduates to take pornography off the network. According to Tarr, about 25 percent of all information on the Internet is pornography related.

Several electronic bulletin boards, or "newsgroups," available over the Internet are dedicated strictly to the publication of porn.

"The National Science Foundation supports a wide array of newsgroups over the Internet service including all the pornographic related ones," Tarr says.

"There is no regulation on information that is available to the person on the Internet," adds Ishir Bhan '96, who founded Digitas with Tarr.

In fact, the College has made it easier for students to get the computer porn.

Policy Unclear

Last spring, Harvard finished wiring all dorm rooms to make the Internet accessible to any student with an Ethernet card, and all students may log-in from free public-use computers in the Science Center. Undergraduates use the network for everything from electronic mail to data research.

Jewett says he has not heard anything about Friday's OIT case, and he himself is not sure what University policy is on the issue.

"If there are rules against it in general, clearly the University wouldn't allow it," he says

"There is no regulation on information that is available to the person on the Internet," adds Ishir Bhan '96, who founded Digitas with Tarr.

In fact, the College has made it easier for students to get the computer porn.

Policy Unclear

Last spring, Harvard finished wiring all dorm rooms to make the Internet accessible to any student with an Ethernet card, and all students may log-in from free public-use computers in the Science Center. Undergraduates use the network for everything from electronic mail to data research.

Jewett says he has not heard anything about Friday's OIT case, and he himself is not sure what University policy is on the issue.

"If there are rules against it in general, clearly the University wouldn't allow it," he says