In the United States, regulation of the Internet must adhere to constitutional protections, particularly the first and fifth amendments. Efforts have been made to regulate harmful material on the Internet, such as the Communications Decency Act and the Child Online Protection Act. These acts, however, have been challenged on freedom of speech grounds. In China, freedom of speech is not viewed the same way as it is in the United States. The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications controls the gateway through which Internet service providers must go. All users are required to register certain information with the local police, and certain kinds of information are strictly prohibited, including sexually suggestive material. While the United States relies primarily on existing laws to regulate pornography on the Internet, China has developed specific laws regulating material found on the Internet. In both countries, however, completely foolproof methods of regulating harmful material have yet to be developed, and the future of Internet regulations will likely be an important area of development in the United States, China, and other industrialized countries. 18 references and 3 photographs