Mark McDonough |
Final Project: Blocking and Filtering Software |
This project was developed to be used as a presentation to be delivered at a middle or high school faculty meeting. |
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The Children’s Internet Protection Act of 2000 (CIPA) mandates that all public schools and libraries that receive federal funds for discounted Internet access MUST operate a “technology protection measure” (i.e. blocking and filtering software) on computers that access the Internet. Libraries, by and large, are up in arms against the mandate. Some have even forgone federal Internet funding in order not to comply with the law, because they feel the law violates the First Amendment’s “free speech” clause. In fact, the American Library Association was the plaintiff in the court challenge to CIPA. But as far as public schools are concerned, who would argue that students’ rights are being violated because they cannot view “child pornography,” or material deemed “obscene,” or “harmful to minors?” Some might say “Install blocking and filtering software on school computers and be done with it! It serves to protect children. What’s the problem?” The “problem” has to do with censorship. Most schools (and families) purchase blocking and filtering software off the shelf without asking too many questions. If a software filtering vendor were asked, “What criteria do you use to decide which Web sites to block?” Most, if not all, would answer “That’s proprietary information. We cannot disclose that information.” Yet when using their software, one tries to access Websites that many would deem “educational,” the sites are inexplicably blocked or filtered. Conversely, sites that a user might deem “inappropriate” are displayed in their totality. There is a problem, an “issue” at least. Educating teachers and families about the pros and cons of blocking and filtering software is an important conversation of the larger dialogue concerning authoritarianism and the free flow of information in a democracy. |