Internet censorship, filters, access - Information Policy

INTERNET CENSORSHIP,
FILTERS, ACCESS etc.
INFORMATION POLICY COURSE, SPRING 2001

WWW: closest we have come to a universal information machine:
anybody can retrieve information / make information available
"The goal of the Web was to be a shared information space
through which people (and machines) could communicate":
Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the World Wide Web:
http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/1996/ppf.html

WWW: inverts many previous situations: theoretical ultimate objective:
Libraries: make all information available to all people
Publishers: publish everything anybody wants published
Now: both achievable
(but libraries and publishers no longer essential elements in system!)

Overwhelming amount of information;
New, extremely popular medium
Many persons skeptical / afraid of its effect
Materials that could not be be distributed by existing media
available on WWW / Internet

Time magazine 3 July 1995:
Spoke of almost a million pornographic images
In fact from private adult Bulletin Board Systems
(pornography costs money to produce
and those who have it normally try to sell it)
Said that 83.5% of digitized pictures on Usenet Newsgroups were pornographic
in fact relatively few pictures on Usenet
a few newsgroups have large proportions of pornographic images
but relatively low figures on Internet as a whole:
OCLC: 2% of public sites contain adult material
Chicago PL: 5% of all traffic is to explicit sex sites; 2% of traffic from children's computers

Comstock again / Child porn repression /
Use of undercover agents to patrol chat rooms / vigilantes

Negative press coverage, fear of Internet:
http://www.appcpenn.org/internet/

COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT, 1996

Criminalized the "knowing" transmission of "obscene or indecent" messages to any recipient under 18 years of age; prohibited sending or displaying to a person under 18 of any message "that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive, as measured by contemporary community standards, sexual or excretory activities or organs."

Opposed by ALA: would interrupt free flow of information
Broad wording: difficult to define "indecent" or "patently offensive"
Offered parents false sense of security
"Libraries and librarians should not deny or limit access to information available via electronic resources because of its allegedly controversial content or because of the librarian's personal beliefs or fear of confrontation"

Struck down by Supreme Court: 1998:
violated Free Speech rights under First Amendment; vague;
"It is true that we have repeatedly recognized the governmental interest in protecting children from harmful materials, but that interest does not justify an unnecessarily broad suppression of speech addressed to adults ... Government may not reduce the adult population ... to ... only what is fit for children"

Supreme Court decision:
http://www2.epic.org/cda/cda_decision.html

Loudoun County, VA: County Library placed filters on all public computers; ruled unconstitutional:
Internet must be considered as an entire collection of publications;
censor portions of the Internet: like editing encyclopedias;
unlimited access to Web sites does not cost more
but site-blocking system does cost extra;
Public library under no obligation to provide Internet access
but should it choose to do so, must follow First Amendment

http://www.zdnet.com/intweek/stories/news/0,4164,375690,00.html

Current Loudoun policy:
http://www.techlawjournal.com/censor/19981201pol.htm

Librarian may wish to consult lawyer on this subject.

INTERNET FILTERS

IN FAVOR OF FILTERS

Protect children from pornography,
ideas and concepts they are incapable of comprehending
contact with adults who mean them harm etc.

Protect librarians again lawsuits / community pressures

Ensure better use of equipment and communication systems

Ensure that those who casually view Internet screens in public places will not be shocked by their content

AGAINST FILTERS

Humanity has produced the universal communication machine,
the new communication medium for the electronic era
Internet communication is essential for progress in the new millennium
We should do all possible to make it as freely and as widely available as possible

Citizens of democracies have a right to free flow of information;
Guaranteed by First Amendment;
democracy does not work without access to information

Government-supported institutions do not have the right to decide what the people should read
(paradox: those in favor of filters often appear to be those most suspicious of big government)

Filters work badly / WHO decides WHAT is to be filtered out?
Filtering causes more problems than it prevents (compare with censorship in general)
Possible scenario: every time a user accesses a web site
from a public or school library
there could be motive for legal action:
because they accessed an inappropriate site /
because access was blocked to an appropriate site

FILTERING WWW: on-computer filters:

WORD ORIENTED:
include list of objectionable words
as file is loaded, compares list to words being received
either refuses whole page or blanks out portions
generally proprietary list of terms; codified; cannot examine
Most "stopwords" sex related; but also "death"; "pain", "bulimia", "anorexia"
Serious problems; inefficient:
Sex: sexton; sextant; Middlesex; Sussex, sexual harassment etc.;
Superbowl XXX; breast (cancer support groups); beaver
(filters keep potential students from
the homepage of historic Beaver College:
http://www.beaver.edu/
a major college in suburban Philadelphia)
changed name to Arcadia University:
http://www.arcadia.edu/
also: bottom; rapeseed oil etc.
Even: High (even in High School)
soccer site: boys under 14, boys under 16
Word filtering is considered ineffective and is little used.

SITE ORIENTED:
blocks user from going to specific sites
normally works with list of sites
again proprietary; coded
new sites coming up all the time
often sites blocked for little reason:
National Organization of Women
Gay / Lesbian support groups etc.
Some sites have mixed content:
Controversial books site: blocked in Utah:
included book of Mormon!
systems normally operate by blocking whole site;
more difficult to block at file level

RATING ORIENTED

Rate sites according to content;
block sites considered inappropriate

Two systems: SafeSurf; ICRA:

The SafeSurf Internet Rating Standard
http://www.safesurf.com/ssplan.htm
(Scroll down for full list of categories)

Ratings recorded in metadata (content description) tags of HTML pages:

i.e. Specify PICS (Platform for Internet Content Specification);
Identify organization responsible for rating data and location of rating data;
present ratings: (SS~~004 4)
SS: SafeSurf
~~: SafeSurf wave
004: Nudity
4: Non-Graphic-Artistic: Classic works of art presented in public museums for family viewing

Internet Content Rating Association:
http://www.icra.org/

(formerly Recreational Software Advisory Council on the Internet: http://www.rsac.org/
ICRA categories are more complex than RSAC categories)

ICRA categories:
http://www.icra.org/_en/en_view.html#matrix

Similar system:

n: nudity
s: sex
v: violence
l: language
categories rated 0 through 4

Technical procedures to permit rating and blocking of sites
e.g.
PICS and technical description of SafeSurf:
http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-PICS-services#Appendix C

Disadvantages of rating systems:

Sites have to insert complex ratings into their pages.
Commercial sex sites may wish to do this to protect themselves against possible lawsuits
but other sites may have little incentive

Systems also work backwards. It is possible to search for (SS~~004 4) etc.
Sophisticated search engines will list sites which offer links to RSACi / ICRA

OTHER APPROACHES TO FILTERING

RECORDING SITES ACCESSED:
Done automatically by browsers: History list
Might reasonably be undertaken by libraries
(without identifying patrons)
to improve services / identify emerging information needs
(books circulated by library often analyzed by class number)

LOGGING ALL EXCHANGE OF DATA
Used by some parental systems to oversee children
Totally unacceptable / probably illegal in libraries

PROXY SERVERS
Third-party servers between local server and remote computer
Often used by companies
sometimes by entire foreign countries
browser must be correctly configured

Schneider, Karen G. Figuring out filters: a quick guide to help demystify them. School Library Journal. 1998 Feb; 44(2):36-38. Includes classification of types of filters, procedures etc.

ACCESS TO NON-WWW SERVICES:

INTERNET RELAY CHAT:
(real-time conversations via keyboard)
Software rarely installed on library computers;
not relevant to library services
similar services now available via WWW: Yahoo Chat; Lycos Chat etc.
Disadvantage: users occupy terminals for lengthy periods for non-library purposes
But note that younger persons learn to type quickly in chat rooms

E-MAIL:
Specialized e-mail software inappropriate for public computers
Numerous free e-mail services now operating via browser
Common to check e-mail in libraries

USE-NET NEWS GROUPS:
Specialized software rarely installed on library computers
Past messages now indexed by major search systems
can be seen via most browsers

MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES:
Internet telephony, gambling, virtual reality, messaging systems (ICQ),
stock portfolios: no significant problems so far

ALTERNATIVES TO FILTERING IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Placing screens horizontally so that others cannot view screen

Vertical privacy screens (appropriate for library use?)

Place screens where they can be seen, so that others can see content
(inhibit inappropriate use) (note that this is the opposite to the previous solution;
Note ALA Code of Ethics:
http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/ethics.html
III. We protect each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality
with respect to information sought or received and
resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted.

Time limits on use of computers / sign in sheets

Screen savers: images left on computer are hidden

Actively promote valuable sites / library gateway / bookmark useful sites

Parental consent forms for children and minors

Dedicated "adults only" terminals (but what if library has one terminal only?)

Acceptable use policies:
Common in public libraries:
Internet has wide variety of materials
Library not responsible for information on Internet, does not endorse information on Internet
Individuals responsible for all their activities on Internet
Parents and guardians responsible for all of their children's activities
Public librarian not "in loco parentis"
Library not responsible for any damages occurring as result of Internet access

Acceptable use policies:
http://www.cc.colorado.edu/Library/Current/wwwpol.html

http://www.lehigh.edu/~sek2/wwwpols.html

"Tap on shoulder": said to used by 73% of Ohio Libraries; (LJ Feb. 1, 1999, p. 50-51);
staff normally confer before approaching patron;
not normal library practice in relation to adults
possibly illegal / unconstitutional / may provoke patron

WARNINGS ON ADULT SITES:
to protect site from possible prosecution
complex disclaimers written in legal language are common

CONTROLLING INTERNET ACCESS IN SCHOOL LIBRARIES

Schools: Internet access for school related work only
Students lose Internet privileges for inappropriate activity
School librarians: "in loco parentis"
(Public librarians not)
Access only after completing course
Signing agreement:
Respect equipment, software, materials
Respect other students work
Cite quotations or copies
Send only appropriate content in e-mail
Immediately exit if you find inappropriate content
Do not release your name or personal information

FILTERING IN PRACTICE:
Ohio: 17% of public libraries filter (LJ Feb. 1, 1999, p. 50-51)
Schools: 1997, 1998: 39% filtered; 1999: 58% (SLJ Nov 1999, p. 20)
(increase presumably due McCain bill (never became law) to mandate filters
as a condition for receiving discounted telecommunications rates)

Technological means mandated end of Clinton government, Dec. 2000
by Children's Internet Protection Act;
must block Obscenity and Child Pornography from adult machines;
also Harmful to minors materials from terminals used by children under 17

Resolution on Opposition to Federally Mandated Internet Filtering
http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/mandatedfiltering.html

ALA's CIPA Web Site:
http://www.ala.org/cipa/

Free-Speech Advocates Fight Filtering Software in Public Schools:
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/19/technology/19CYBERLAW.html

New bill requires Net filters in libraries, schools:
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-202-4213528-0.html

Libraries becoming battlefield over Internet pornography:
http://asp.washtimes.com/printarticle.asp?action=print&ArticleID=default-20012920553

ALA: Office of Intellectual Freedom: Filters and filtering
http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/filtersandfiltering.html

Resolution on the Use of Internet Filters:
http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/filt_res.html

Statement on Internet Filtering
http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/filt_stm.html

ALA: 700 great sites for kids:
http://www.ala.org/parentspage/greatsites/amazing.html

1998 National Survey of U.S. Public Library Outlet Internet Connectivity: summary results
http://www.ala.org/oitp/survey98.pdf
Note p. 3: 43% of libraries had only one public workstation
p. 4: 72%: no filters, acceptable use policy

Libraries and the Internet toolkit:
tips and guidance for managing and communicating about the Internet:
http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/internettoolkit.html
Study carefully;
note sample questions and answers:
http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/tip_q&a.html

Librarian's guide to cyberspace for parents and kids:
http://www.ala.org/pio/cyber/cando.html

Peacefire: Youth Alliance against Internet Censorship:
major anti-filtering site, set up when organizer was 17:
How to disable blocking software
Blocked site of the day:
http://www.peacefire.com/

Yahoo: Society_and_Culture/Issues_and_Causes/Civil_Rights/Censorship/
Censorship_and_the_Net/Blocking_and_Filtering/Filtering_in_Libraries/:
http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Issues_and_Causes/Civil_Rights/Censorship/Censorship_and_the_Net/Blocking_and_Filtering/Filtering_in_Libraries/

ACLU: Censorship in a box: why blocking software is wrong for public libraries:
http://www.aclu.org/issues/cyber/box.html

Internet Free Expression Alliance: news summaries on Internet freedom:
http://www.ifea.net/
Pointers to documents on Internet freedom:
http://www.ifea.net/resources.html

Faulty Filters: How Content Filters Block Access to
Kid-Friendly Information on the Internet
http://www2.epic.org/reports/filter-report.html

Academic Freedom and Electronic Communications:
http://www.aaup.org/statelec.htm

UK Library Association on filtering
http://www.la-hq.org.uk/directory/prof_issues/filter.html

Library Law page, by Mary Minow, attorney, adjunct professor at
San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science
http://www.librarylaw.com/
Mary Minow's definitions of Obscenity, Harmful Matters, and Indecency:
http://www.best.com/~tstms/definitions.htm

Current filtering legislation in progress:
http://www.techlawjournal.com/cong106/filter/Default.htm

Yahoo! Computers and Internet:Software:Reviews:Titles:Internet: Blocking and Filtering
http://dir.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Software/Reviews/Titles/Internet/Blocking_and_Filtering/

PC Magazine: Utility Guide: Parental Filtering:
http://www.zdnet.com/products/stories/reviews/0,4161,2524260,00.html

GetNetWise: tools:
http://www.getnetwise.org/tools/

Northern Light family friendly page with list of filter software:
http://www.northernlight.com/docs/gen_help_family.html

Internet Filter Software Chart:
http://www.safekids.com/filters.htm

The Internet Filter Assessment Project:
http://www.bluehighways.com/tifap/tifap.htm

Filtering info:
http://www.filteringinfo.org/

LibraryGuardian:
http://www.libraryguardian.com/
Formerly SmartGuardian: personalized usage cards, limit sites, amount of time spent online:

N2H2
http://www.N2H2.com/
1,500 proxy servers;
URL database exceeding 15 million sites
more than 15 million subscribers.

X-stop Solutions:
http://www.8e6technologies.com/solutions/http://www.8e6technologies.com/solutions/

Frequently Un-asked questions by a producer of filtering software:
http://turnercom.com/paper.html

Search engine filters:
Family Filter:
http://doc.altavista.com/help/search/family_help.html

Reporting Offensive Pages:
http://doc.altavista.com/help/search/report_off.html

http://www.lycos.com/parentalcontrol/

Improved search engine software:
avoids "accidental" retrieval of explicit sites.

Family-friendly search engine:
http://www.ah-ha.com/

Internet safety:
http://www.getnetwise.org/

http://www.netmom.com/

http://www.safeamerica.org/html/cybersafety.html

CONCLUSION:
Dispute over pornography overshadows enormous value of Internet to society

Internet here to stay;
pornographic web sites here to say;
previously politicians had to be anti-communist
now we are in the age of family values
(Will Manley, Am. Libs. Nov. 1997)

We need to talk more about the innumerable positive aspects of Internet
and less about the problems;
discussion of Internet mirrors earlier discussion of light reading
(GraceAnne DeCandido, Am. Libs., Oct 1999)

Like censorship: problem will remain with us
no obvious solution

Religion trumps porn in Web popularity:
http://cnn.com/TECH/computing/9906/30/religion.idg/

Updated: 2001 Jan. 15 Conditions of use

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