Professional Ethics Report
Volume VII, Number 3, Summer 1995

(A publication of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science, Scientific Freedom, Responsibility and Law Program in
collaboration with Committee on Scientific Freedom & Responsibility,
Professional Society Ethics Group)



The CMU Cyberporn Study: The Naked Truth
By Alexander Fowler

    Cyberhype gave way to cyberhysteria this summer following TIME
magazine's cover story, "On a Screen Near You: Cyberporn." The article
reported on the findings of a controversial 18-month study conducted by
an undergraduate in electrical engineering, Martin Rimm, at Carnegie
Mellon University and published in the Georgetown Law Journal. Since its
release and coverage in TIME, the study, "Marketing Pornography on the
Information Superhighway," has been the focal point of scores of
articles and on-line discussions, was featured on ABC's Nightline, and
has been entered into the Congressional Record by Sen. Charles E.
Grassley (R-Iowa).


* References CMU's policies: "Apparently, Rimm and his advisors were not
alone in monitoring the on-line habits of their CMU peers. A computer
administrator responsible for monitoring site statistics acquired the
data... According to three university-wide policies issued by Carnegie
Mellon, it appears that, indeed, several basic tenets may have been
violated by Rimm, his faculty advisors, and the network engineers, in
collecting and analyzing these records."

* Reports that Don Hale, CMU VP Univ Rel, says that the CoInvestigation
will be "given 120 days to complete an investigation, after which the
five-member panel will submit a written report to the president of the
university with recommended actions from the provost."

* Quotes George Duncan from Pete Lewis' NYT article and Rimm ("there is
pornography out there") from the Chronicle of Higher Ed article. Also
quotes from Jim Thomas' CuD ethics critique and my "Case of the Two
Cybersex Studies."

* Lists URLs for Donna's Cyberporn Debate web page, Wired's Journoporn
web page, and Karen's CMU censorship web page.