Filtering Software and Internet Access

8/3/2019 Filtering Software and Internet Access

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Filtering Software and Access to the Internet Dawn Bish and Cyndi Atwell

Filtering Software and Access to the Internet

LIS 666

By Dawn Bish and Cyndi Atwell


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Introduction

According to Libraries: An American Value affirm the following: we defend the

constitutional rights of all individuals, including children and teenagers, to use the

librarys resources and services and we celebrate and preserve our democratic society

by making available the widest possible range of viewpoints, opinions and ideas, so that

all individuals have the opportunity to become lifelong learners- informed, literate,

educated and culturally enriched. (American Library Association, 1999)

The Childrens Internet Protection Act (CIPA), enacted in 2000 precluded that public

and school libraries that received E-rate funding for internet access and materials

essential to internet access (computers, internet provider, etc.) must enact filteringsoftware to block or filter childrens access to obscenity, pornography and materials that

are harmful to minors. These filters must be placed on all computers including those

only accessed by adults in the school and public library setting. Filtering may only be

removed temporarily for legitimate research. In addition to the filtering system, libraries

and schools have to adopt and implement internet policies addressing all forms of

access by minors including chat rooms, email, and hacking. Schools have an

additional requirement to enact policies for monitoring online activities of minors.

CIPA defines pornography as any picture, writing or other material found to be sexually


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This paper will address some of the issues and problems with filtering software as well

as interviewing librarians to determine what filtering software is being used, what

problems occur with the filtering software and whether there is an option to disable filterin case of bona fide research or when an adult comes into a public library (see appendix

A for questionnaire).

Filtering Software: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Filtering software comes in a variety of forms and functions. Paul T. Yaeger and ZhengYan define the different software available as such (Jaeger P. T., March 2009):

a. server sided filtering software where the company chooses the sites to be filtered (and may

not reveal what is or is not being filtered as it is a trade secret

b. client sided filtering where certain sites are blocked and need a user password

c. text based content analysis filtering (removing illicit material through real time analysis)

d. monitoring and time limiting the childs access to the internet

e. age verification systems where the adult needs a password

With most filtering software, the company chooses the sites that are filtered and may or

may not disclose to the user those sites that are being blocked (and why). The service

provider may claim that by giving the user the information about how and why sites are

blocked may reveal company secrets that may weaken the company if the information

was made known. Also, companies may have political or personal agendas and may

block pertaining to politically ambiguous sites such as gay and lesbian sites andatheism sites but allow anti-gay sites and religious sites to not be blocked (Jaeger P. T.,

November 2004,55,13). This takes the collection process for the library out of the hands

of the librarian


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access sites that can be advantageous when doing research, writing a paper or

socializing with peers. This then gives more access to children from higher income

families and promotes limits to low income families. This does not promote the adageof a free and public education for all.

Filters and filtering software can prohibit minors from accessing information that may be

protected speech under the First Amendment. One school system reported that The

Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights were blocked. Other sites blocked

were religious sites, the Bible and the Book of Mormon (Jaeger P. T., March 2009). The

limitation that the filtering software provides is a direct violation of First Amendmentrights. According to Kelsey,

First Amendment rights ensure Unites States citizens have freedom of speech and

of the press, among other freedoms relating to expressions of beliefs and ideas.

The right to receive information has been interpreted as a corollary to the First

Amendment, implying the right to read and think for oneself. This is an important

right for K-12 students. To develop into informed citizens in a free society, theymust be allowed to explore ideas in order to partake in free speech (N/D 2007)

Other issues that will be addressed in the findings are the following:

a. How do you turn filters off (a lot of librarians dont know or have the ability to turn off

filters)?

b. When do you turn the filters off?

c. What is legitimate research?

d. Why are filters on all computers even those only accessed by adults?

e. How do you identify what is considered harmful to minors?


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department in the public library. Only one public librarian could identify the company

providing the filtering software and she had to ask a fellow librarian. When the librarian

questioned an IT staff member, the staff member was unable to identify the company.

The filters were able to be customized by the librarian in only one instance in a public

library. This library had a system where parents could select the level of filtering the

child experienced. In all other instances, if filters could be customized, this process was

handled only through the IT departments.

When questioned about the advantages of the filters, most librarians viewed theblocking of inappropriate sites as the most positive aspect. Librarians also cited the

necessity of the filters in order to receive funding for providing the Internet or computers.

There were several disadvantages of the filters with the most prevalent being the

blocking of sites that would be viewed as appropriate for research. In addition, new

websites are created daily. If the filtering software doesnt automatically check,

inappropriate sites could appear when the user selects a choice given by a search

engine. The library which had the levels of filters cited that parents did not always set

the level and the child. This led to the uploading of sites that the parent viewed as

inappropriate. In the public school setting, the filters are identical on both the public and

staff computers, which often hinders research done by an adult staff member when

needing to request sites to be unblocked for class research. One high school media

specialist has become aware of the fact that students are discovering ways to bypass

the filters and requires the specialist to constantly monitor what students are accessing.Only one librarian reported no disadvantages to the filters. One librarian is employed in

a library where there are no childrens computers with internet access. Although the

public computers are filtered this librarian had received a grant for the purchase of


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Conclusion

Since the advent of CIPA, the protection of children from inappropriate materials thatthey may encounter on the Internet has fallen on the librarians in the public and school

libraries and filtering software. This puts a great burden on librarians as the sole

caretakers of the childs safety on the Internet. This also greatly limits the input that the

parent and the child have on what they may or may not view on the internet. As far as

CIPA is concerned, the job of protecting children from obscenity and material harmful to

minors has been taken out of the hands of the parents and put into legislation that it is

the job of the librarian and filtering.

Interviews with librarians across the board showed their displeasure with the filters

because of the sites that were inappropriately blocked. The authors also discovered

that librarians do not have the ability to override the filters when asked to do so by an

adult patron either for the patron or for the child with the patron. This ability has been

removed by the governing body, either a county or city government or school board,

and placed in the hands of IT. This presents many problems because of the inability to

contact IT and either have the site unblocked in a timely manner or to have permission

denied. This greatly compromises the training and education that librarians receive to

address the needs of the patron. It is also contrary to the Supreme Courts opinion:

The Supreme Court underscored the ease with which patrons may have the filtering

software disabled.(Children's Internet Protection Act Study of Technology Protection

Measures, 2003)

In conclusion, the authors feel that the present system for allowing internet access for


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Bibliography

Adams, H. R. (2008). Filters and Access to Information, Part I, II, III. School Library and Media ActivitiesMonthly.

American Library Association. (1999, February 3). Libraries: an American Value. Retrieved February 10,

2010, from ALA:

http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/pif/statementspols/americanvalue/librariesamerican.cfm

Children's Internet Protection Act Study of Technology Protection Measures. (2003, August).

www.ntia.doc.gov.Retrieved February 7, 2010, from National Telecommunicaitons and Information

Administration: http://ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/ntiageneral/cipa2003/cipareport

Dobija, J. (S 2007). The First Amendment Needs New Clothes.American Librarian, 38 no 8 , 50-53.

FCC Consumer Facts, Childrens Internet Protection . (n.d.). Consumer Facts. Retrieved February 7, 2010,

from FCC: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/cipa.html

Jaeger, P. T. (March 2009). One Law with Two Outcomes: Comparing the Implementation of CIP in Public

Libraries and Schools. Information Technoloby and Libraries , 6-14.

Jaeger, P. T. (November 2004,55,13). The Effects of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) in the

Public Libraries and It's Implications for Research: Statistical, Policy and Legal Analysis.Journal of the

American Society for Information Science and Technology, 1131-1139.

Kelsey, M. (N/D 2007). Are We Lucky for the First Amendment? A Brief History of Student's Right to

Read. Knowledge Quest, 36, no2 , 26-29.

Lavell, A. L. (N/D 2004). In the Name of In(ternet)decency Laws Attempting to Regulate Content Deemed


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Appendix A

Questions for Librarians about Filtering Software and How to use them

1. What type of library: School public, School private, Public?2. Who is responsible for the filtering system in your library?3. What company provides your filters?4. Can you customize the filtering system for your patrons?5. What are the advantages to filters?6. What are the disadvantages?7. How easy is the procedure to disable the filters?8. Under what circumstances will you disable the filters?9. Does the age of the child determine if you will disable the filters and for what

purpose?10. What is the procedure for disabling filters if the child/teen is researching a project

and the filters will not allow the child to access the needed information?


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9 | P a g e

Appendix B

Results of Librarians Questionnaires

Type Responsibility Filter

Company

Customize Advantages Disadvantages Disabling

Difficulty

Disabling

Circumstances

Age of

child any

factor?

Disabling

Procedure?

Public County - IT

Dept.

unknown Yes - 3

levels

Parents

decide on

filter level

Parents don't

always set

levels

Easy Parental

Permission

No, only

parental

permission

Not

specified

Public County - IT

Dept.

unknown to a

certain

extent

Allows

libraries to

block

inappropriate

sites and

materials

Might block

sites that are

appropriate

Can't

disable,

has to be

done by

county IT

Request

unblocking. IT

determines if

site is

appropriate

No Request is

sent to IT

Public Library IT unknown No Block

inappropriate

sites

Have not

experienced

any

disadvantages

Can't

disable.

Must be

done by IT

IT disables on

case by case

basis

No Form is

submitted

to IT and

they decide

if site is

appropriate


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10 | P a g e

Public

-

Branch

Library IT Savantech Yes,

requires IT

permission

Blocks

explicit

material

Blocks

appropriate

sites. May

miss a new

site that is

inappropriate

Fairly easy

but time

consuming.

After patron

request and IT

verification

no Request

sent to IT

and they

verify that

site is

appropriate

and

unblock. IT

has to

reblock

once

patron is no

longer on

computer

Public IT Department unknown no None except

for being able

to get funds

to help with

cost of

internet.

Sometimes

block

legitimate

research sites

Time

consuming

If patron is

determined to

be engaging in

genuine

research

no Log into

library

intranet,

request

that site be

unblocked

and then

wait for IT

to respond.

IT is

supposed

to respond

within 1

hour.


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11 | P a g e

Public Mostly county

IT but there are

teaching

computers

bought with

grant that

librarian can

unblock the

filters

iprism -

when it

blocks it

tells you

why

No

computers

in

children's

room

Funds

received

Little or no

control over

the public

computers.

Have to go

through IT to

unblock sites

which may

take 60 min.

to accomplish

All

requests

go through

library

director

and then

to IT.

Librarian

can use

teaching

computers

if patron is

doing

genuine

research

Can't disable.

Has to go

through chain

of command

No Have to

send

request to

IT through

director.

Public

School

School District unknown No Enables

school to

keep internet

access to

educational

sites

Blocks sites

that may be

helpful to

students.

Staff and

students have

same filter.

Probably

very

difficult.

Have not

tried to do

so.

None - media

specialist had

not been

given info on

how to

disable.

No Have to

send

request to

district,

Even then

the site

usually

remains

blocked.


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12 | P a g e

Public

School

School District unknown Media

speciality

can

request

that sites

for

projects or

research

can be

requested

to be

unblocked

Somewhat

does parents'

job. Don't

have to

monitor as

much

Filter is

unpredictable.

Also, high

school

students have

figured out

how to go

around them.

Can't

disable.

Has to be

done by

the school

system

Teachers can

request that

sites be

unblocked for

research or

projects. Even

if unblocked

today, there is

no guarantee

that it will be

unblocked the

next day.

no Request

sent to

school

system IT

Public

High

School

School District unknown Can

request

that sites

be

unblocked

for class

research

Mostly keeps

children from

accessing

inappropriate

sites

Sometime

blocks sites

that are

appropriate

Have to

request

school

technology

dept. to

unblock

Can request

sites be

unblocked for

research

No Request

school

technology

department

Public

School

School District unknown Can

request

that sites

be

unblocked

for classresearch

Blocks

inappropriate

sites

Sometimes

block

legitimate

research sites

Have to

request

school IT

to unblock

Can't disable.

Has to go

through

school IT

No Request

school IT

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