Media Release: Study Released on Internet Blocking in Schools, Filtering Software Overblocks and Miscategorizes Websites
For Immediate Release: Monday, June 23, 2003
Contact:
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Will Doherty
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Executive Director
Online Policy Group
press@onlinepolicy.org
Study Released on Internet Blocking in Schools
Filtering Software Overblocks and Miscategorizes Websites
San Francisco -
The Online Policy Group (OPG) and the
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) today released a study
documenting the effects of Internet blocking, also known as
filtering, in U.S. schools. The study found that blocking
software overblocked state-mandated curriculum topics
extensively -- for every web page correctly blocked as
advertised, one or more was blocked incorrectly.
The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires all
schools and libraries receiving certain federal funds or
discounts to install and use a technology for blocking
visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or in
the case of minors, "harmful to minors."
"Restrictions on viewing constitutionally protected speech
contradicts the primary educational mission of schools,"
said OPG Executive Director Will Doherty. "CIPA holds
students and teachers hostage to Internet blocking software
that does not and cannot fulfill legal requirements and
likely prevents students from obtaining a well-balanced,
globally competitive education."
Researchers analyzed the extent to which blocking software
blocks information related to state-mandated curriculum
topics.
The report drew the following conclusions:
The use of Internet blocking software in schools cannot
help schools comply with the law because schools do not and
cannot set the software to block only the categories
required by the law, and because the software is incapable
of blocking only the visual depictions required by CIPA.
Blocking software does not protect children from exposure
to a large volume of material that is harmful to minors
within the legal definitions. Blocking software cannot adapt
adequately to local community standards. Most schools
already have in place alternatives to Internet blocking
software, such as adoption and enforcement of Internet use
policies, media literacy education, directed use, and
supervised use.
Blocking software in schools damages educational
opportunities for students, both by blocking access to web
pages that are directly related to the state-mandated
curriculums and by restricting broader inquiries of both
students and teachers. Teachers and students 17 years or
older (most high school juniors and seniors) should be
exempt, yet suffer the consequences of CIPA implementation.
After testing nearly a million web pages related to
state-mandated curriculums, the researchers found that of
the web pages blocked, 97 - 99% of a statistically
significant sample were blocked using non-standard,
discretionary, and potentially illegal criteria beyond what
CIPA requires.
For this release:
http://www.onlinepolicy.org/media/schoolblocking030623.shtml
OPG and EFF "Internet Blocking in Schools" study:
http://www.onlinepolicy.org/access/schoolblocking.shtml
EFF media release on study:
http://www.eff.org/Censorship/Censorware/net_block_report/20030623_eff_pr.php
OPG media release on ALA v. US decision:
http://www.onlinepolicy.org/media/cipasupreme030623.shtml
Why Blocking Technology Can't Work:
http://www.onlinepolicy.org/research/blockcantwork.shtml
Flash animation of students facing Internet blocking in
schools:
http://www.eff.org/schoolblocking/
About OPG:
The Online Policy Group (OPG) is a nonprofit organization
dedicated to online policy research, outreach, and action on
issues such as access, privacy, and digital defamation. The
organization fulfills its motto of "One Internet With Equal
Access to All" through projects such as donation-based email
list hosting, web hosting, domain registrations, and
colocation services. OPG focuses on Internet participants'
civil liberties and human rights, like access, privacy,
safety, and serving schools, libraries, disabled, elderly,
youth, women, and sexual, gender, and ethnic minorities.
Find out more at
http://www.onlinepolicy.org/
About EFF:
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is the leading civil
liberties organization working to protect rights in the
digital world. Founded in 1990, EFF actively encourages and
challenges industry and government to support free
expression and privacy online. EFF is a member-supported
organization and maintains one of the most linked-to
websites in the world at
http://www.eff.org/
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