In the wake of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, discussions have raged both online and in the press about free speech, online pornography, and the protection of children. This paper discusses the legal and social science issues surrounding content regulation of the World Wide Web and the Internet as a whole, with an emphasis on the indecency ban. The paper uses recent literature to address concerns that have led to legislation, including: (1) the perceived pervasiveness of online pornography (the "porn panic"); (2) the perceived intrusiveness of online communication and its accessibility to children and adolescents; and (3) the potential for societal "harms" to children or adults following exposure to online indecency. In each section, the role of social science, both in fueling the porn panic and in potentially informing the policy debate, and the broad First Amendment implications of applying broadcast regulation standards to online communication are examined. (Contains 125 references.) (Author/SWC)