Beware of journeys into cyberspace.

That's the message Frederick Lane, an author and expert on Internet and privacy issues, had for students at Elizabethtown College Wednesday.

Lane spoke about the Internet in relation to privacy issues, rights and responsibilities and the Constitution.

"Information wants to be free," he said. "Technology doesn't care about your privacy."

Lane graduated from Amherst College in 1985 with degrees in American studies and classics. He graduated from Boston College Law School in 1988. In 1990, he decided to combine his interest in technology and knowledge of the law to research and write about topics relating to technology and free speech.

Since then, Lane has written several books, including his most recent, "The Decency Wars: The Campaign to Cleanse American Culture," published in 2006. His "The Naked Employee" came out in 2003, and "Obscene Profits" in 2000.

During Lane's speech, titled "Lost in Space: Personal Privacy and Safety in a Wired World," he explored the legal and social implications of baring all on the Internet.

Lane noted the area between free speech and censorship is gray, mostly because the Internet is fairly new and courts are finding themselves in uncharted waters.

Lane said free speech is limited in certain venues.

"You are on a college campus and are part of a community," he said. "You are giving up part of your constitutional rights to be here. The college administration has the right to impose restrictions on students online and otherwise.

"The tension is on the administration to balance intellectual give and take."

Much of the ambiguity stems from the now mostly defunct Communications Decency Act of 1996. The act was the first attempt by Congress to regulate pornographic material on the Internet.

However, in 1997, the Supreme Court ruled the act was unconstitutional.

In that ruling, the high court stated it is impossible to define obscenity because it is too vague a concept.

That concept of obscenity, Lane said, rests with the moral majority.

"Obscenity is measured by whether it violates community standards and whether is it harmful," he said.

Lane warned students to "have no reasonable expectations of privacy" when posting personal thoughts or information on the Internet.

Lane told the audience to be careful when creating Web pages on social networking sites such as MySpace or Facebook because information posted there eventually will be found on somebody else's computer.

"If you put it out there it will spread," Lane said. "In many cases, courts will be less likely to defend your rights because you give (information) away so easily."

In fact, it is extremely difficult — if not nearly impossible — to erase unsecured information.

"It's really hard to get it to go away once it's there," Lane said.

When posting information on the Internet, Lane said, people should think of what they might want their parents, grandparents and future employers to read.

"It matters what your Google profile looks like," Lane said.

"Employers are making decisions about hiring you based on what they read on the Internet. Google is becoming the most powerful tool for employers."

Lane said by using common sense, Internet users can prevent embarrassment.

He offered the audience a few basic rules to that effect.

"Don't digitize stupidity," he said. "Private is as private does, and stay informal."

Lane also suggested people should look themselves up online.

"Google thyself," Lane said. "Be brand aware."

E-mail: mpennino@lnpnews.com