Library Internet Filters
Beginning Tuesday, October 26, internet filters will be used on ALL computers at Mesa Public Libraries in order to be in compliance with the Children's Internet Protection Act. Adult patrons will NOT be able to have the filters turned off on a case by case basis. Although I agree with the intentions behind the move, I do not agree with this new policy for several reasons.
For one, internet filters are not as effective as some people would like us to believe. Please read Nancy Kranich's article about the problems with internet filtering, including underblocking and overblocking.
Secondly, it is called the CHILDREN"S Internet Protection Act for a reason. Adults are fully capable of filtering through websites without the aid of software. So why is the City Council not giving adults the option of having the filters turned off?
I haven't heard mention of what type of filter the library will use, but it will most likely be live filtering which is based on vocabulary. I will check it out once it is up and see if I have any trouble accessing sites that are not intended to be blocked (anything about breast cancer, chicken breast recipes, Charles Dickens, Dick Cheney, Planned Parenthood, etc.).
posted by Kira @ 6:23 PM
1 Comments:
This issue has long been a source of irritation for me. I too agree with the sentiment of protecting kids from material that is not appropriate for their age, but society needs to realize that technological solutions aren't the way to achieve this goal. Any teenager who knows anything about the dark side of the internet can bypass those filters. The filter is much more likely to impede legitimate use than save children from exposure to explicit content. The real solution is parenting that instills morals and values.
BTW: Thanks for the nice comment on my blog. I hope you enjoy future visits to my site(http://lestdarknessfall.blogspot.com/) and I'll be sure to return to yours soon. I have a strong interest in opposing censorship, and I look forward to your next post.
-LDF
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