Talk:Children's Internet Protection Act
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[edit] COPA - District Court discusses filters
All. ACLU v. Gonzales, US District Court E.D. Pa., 22 March 2007, spends pages discussing filters and the ACLU expert saying how wonderful filters are. The judge agrees. Someone should update this page with information from the case. This post is to get everyone thinking in that area about what changes could/should be made. --LegitimateAndEvenCompelling 01:50, 24 March 2007 (UTC)
[edit] State CIPA-like laws should be a subsection
All. State CIPA-like laws should be a subsection here too, and I'd like to start people thinking in that direction by adding this Talk section.
For example, Virginia just passed a state CIPA-like law. I will provide the information below for the purpose of illustrating the issue I raise as people decide whether or not to include a state CIPA section and why. I do not expect the proposed state CIPA section of this CIPA page to be this voluminous:
http://www.roanoke.com/politics/wb/wb/xp-109919
Kaine signs library bill; The legislation requires public libraries to block obscene material with Internet filters. By Michael Sluss
RICHMOND -- Gov. Tim Kaine has signed legislation requiring public libraries to install Internet filters on their computers to block access to pornography and other obscene material.
The bills (HB 2197 and SB 1393) require libraries that receive state funds to install the filters, but allow adults to have the filters disabled for research or for other legitimate purposes. The bills passed both houses of the General Assembly with solid majorities, and Kaine announced his support of them on Thursday.
Fewer than half of the library systems in Virginia have the filters installed. Supporters of the legislation said the filters will protect children from viewing obscene material and keep others from using taxpayer-funded computers to distribute pornography or solicit children.
"Now parents, regardless of where they live in Virginia, will soon have the assurance that their children cannot be subjected to cyber-porn at their local, neighborhood library," said Senate Majority Leader Walter Stosch, R-Henrico County, who sponsored the Senate version of the bill.
Victoria Cobb, president of The Family Foundation of Virginia, said the legislation "brings our publicly funded libraries on board with other child protection measures already passed by the General Assembly." The Family Foundation has been pushing for such legislation since 2004.
"In a world where nearly every day we hear another story about a child being exploited by a sexual predator over the Internet, we need to do everything we can to protect kids," Cobb said in prepared statement.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/22/AR2007032202027.html
VIRGINIA BRIEFING, Friday, March 23, 2007; Page B05, CRIME VICTIMS, LIBRARIES
Kaine Signs Bills Into Law
Computers in public libraries will be required to have Internet filters, and crime victims must be given time off from work to testify in court under two bills Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) signed into law.
The Internet legislation, meant to shield children from pornography and violent material, allows library employees to disable the filters for adults who are conducting research.
Kaine said yesterday that he also signed legislation to improve access to higher education for military members and their dependents.
Tim Craig
http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/6675287.html
Internet Filters, Harrisonburg, Reporter: Kelly Creswell
There's a federal law already in place that mandates that libraries have to use internet filters or else they won't receive federal money. But still about half the public libraries in Virginia decided not to use the filters because they felt it was restricting citizen's rights. But a new state law doesn't even give public libraries the option. The libraries have to have internet filters or there will be no state funding and most public libraries rely on state funds. The new state law doesn't affect the way Massanutten Library operates.
"Massanutten Regional receives $440,000 in state aid every year, so essentially there's not a choice with this, we do have to filter, and we'll continue to do it," says Library Director Phil Hearne.
Library Director Phil Hearne disagrees with the law, saying it restricts a citizen's right to freedom of information. But Hearne says these filters aren't perfect. "Say for example I wanted to do research on the pros and cons of pornography, I would come over to this work station type on the word pornography and click the search button, but the filter wouldn't let me access the Internet." But Senator Mark Obenshain says the new law is very reasonable.
"If somebody is doing legitimate research, and finds that the filter is inhibiting their ability to do that," says Senator Mark Obenshain. "We wrote into the law, a provision that requires the library to disable it just upon their request, so I think it's a very reasonable approach to a very real problem."
And that problem is to watch out for younger children. But Hearne says there are other ways to stop people from looking at obscene material.
Filters aren't the only solution," says Hearne. "It's really, the best solution is staff monitoring, simple as that and we've always done a good job with that."
The Massanutten Regional Library Director says he rarely has a problem with people looking up pornography. But the library does have a policy. He says his staff gives out one warning if they find a person looking at inappropriate material, and if that person is caught again, they are banned forever from using computers at the library.
Thanks for your consideration. --LegitimateAndEvenCompelling 15:31, 24 March 2007 (UTC)
[edit] CIPA
What's really funny is that cipa means "cunt" in Polish. ;-)
