Disable filters, library told
p2pnet.net News:- A rural library in Washington has been ordered to disable its Net filters.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the North Central Regional Library District to provide unblocked access when adults request it, says The Associated Press, going on:
“The ACLU of Washington brought suit on behalf of three individuals and the pro-gun Second Amendment Foundation over the library district’s Internet filter on computers. The lawsuit contends the library’s policy of refusing to disable its Internet filters when requested for lawful purposes is unconstitutional and goes beyond what federal law requires.”
The story says library district director Dean Marney was surprised because the library recently changed its filtering software that allows sites to be unblocked. “However, federal law does not require that requests to remove filters be granted,” AP states, adding:
“Doug Honig, an ACLU spokesman in Seattle, said new filtering software is ‘a step in the right direction,’ but does not change the underlying legal issue: whether libraries should act as gatekeepers of what adults do legally online.”
Also See:
The Associated Press – Movie Studios Sue to Stop Loading of DVDs onto iPods, November 16, 2006
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November 17th, 2006 at 9:51 pm
i mean imagine you are walking through the library with your children and walk by some perv looking at hardcore porn whackin it in the library.
i personally would never even touch one of those computers after this happens. imagine the damn sticky keys.
barfs
November 18th, 2006 at 1:39 am
I usually care about someone’s liberties, but this is going to far, in my opinion. As the previous poster said, imagine children seeing what some pervert jerkface is looking at. A library should be able to set standards if something is obscene. If streaking is illegal because it is obscene, so should nasty sites be allowed to be filtered, because it is in public property.
Second, pr0n sites do harm by adding spyware to PC’s. I wouldn’t allow anyone to view nasty sites on my computer, even though it is a Mac
.
The question is, at what point should “freedom” be allowed? At what point does the government go too far in exercising their authority?
November 19th, 2006 at 1:01 am
“Porn” would still be blocked under Federal guidelines. What the article fails to mention is the sheer number of sites and categories which are blocked. Further, since this is a rural area, the Wenatchee, WA based North Central Regional Library all too often represents the only public access available in this area.
Honestly, how would you like it if you were unable to look at pocketknives (blocked on NCRL terminals under the heading of “weapons”); shop for swimsuits (blocked under the category of “swimsuits”); look up a friend’s myspace profile (blocked under the category of “dating/personals”) go to a site such as joecartoon.com (blocked as “tasteless/gross”); look up drink recipies (blocked under the category of “alcohol”); or seek out legitimate works of art (blocked under the category of “nudity”)?
So imagine walking into a public library seeking information, only to have it denied–at taxpayers expense no less.
The Supreme Court spoke in US v ALA, and FCC policy is clear. This library is in violation and if the Constitution is to stand, then their present policy must fall.
-Chuck
November 19th, 2006 at 9:51 pm
Government’s “authority” is vested in the people, stems from the people, and is ultimately administered by, of, and for the people.
But if that’s over your head then ask yourself this: would you rather have an orderly, heavily regulated country where citizens’ lives are micromanaged by authority figures? or a free republic where NO law can be enacted without regards to the liberties of the individual–even if said liberties are occasionally abused by a scant handful of immature individuals?
I guess it comes down to this: would you rather we be a regulated society or a tolerant one?