ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION
                                                                                                               

Joint Statement Opposing Legislative Requirements

for School and Library Internet Blocking Technologies

With the United States Congress' passage of legislation requiring the use of Internet blocking technologies in all public schools and libraries participating in certain federal programs, it has become clear that these schools and libraries are facing a variety of challenges.

The following individuals and organizations oppose mandatory Internet blocking technology requirements in public schools and libraries because blocking technologies:

  • Underblock what they are supposed to block
  • Overblock what they are not supposed to block
  • Rely on subjective "expert" control
  • Are error-prone, vulnerable, problematic, and unfairly discriminatory
  • Deny access to constitutionally protected and educationally important materials that schools and libraries would otherwise provide

We also believe government-mandated censorship does not solve problems better handled through local decision making and educational efforts.

The undersigned organizations and individuals commit to working together on the legal challenges to legislation requiring Internet blocking technology.

We commit to a public education campaign on the effects of blocking technology on online access, free speech rights, and civil liberties of students and library patrons. We commit to sharing effective strategies to assist young people in learning to use the Internet safely and effectively to enhance their education.

We will share our research and documentation and will provide educational materials and consulting services to school and library administrators, the general public, and the media. Our goal is to educate everyone potentially affected by the operation of Internet blocking technology in public schools and libraries, regardless of the outcome of legal challenges to legislative requirements for the use of Internet blocking technology.

Any individuals or organizations in agreement with this joint statement are welcome to sign on by sending an email to statement@onlinepolicy.org.

Organizational Endorsers--

Individual Endorsers--

(asterisk indicates endorsement is from individual with organization listed only for purposes of identification)

This statement is available online at http://onlinepolicy.org/network/statement.htm and mirrored at http://www.ncac.org/issues/cipa.html.

Organizing Tools

Direct Action
Express your views on legislation requiring Internet blocking in schools and libraries: demonstrate at federal buildings, schools, libraries and blocking technology companies, and display animated banners and blackout your website (with an explanation) in protest.
Media Release
Contacts for Media Interviews
Speakers' Bureau
Blocking Technology Discussions Lists Established
Join one of the Internet blocking technology discussion email lists, for general discussions, for library-related discussions, or for school-related discussions, Online Policy Group, January 27, 2001

Media Coverage

Lawsuits Slam Net Filtering Efforts
The American Civil Liberties Union and American Library Association filed separate suits Tuesday in a federal district court in Philadelphia challenging a new law that requires federally funded schools and libraries to install software that blocks "objectionable" online materials, CNET News, March 20, 2001
Related media coverage:
Libraries Spearhead Attack on Cyber-Porn Law, Reuters
Librarians Contest Law Requiring Net Filters, Mercury News,
Libraries: Filter Out Filters, Wired,
Library Smut Snit Heats Up, Wired,
Diverse Coalition Sues To Overturn Web-Filtering Law, Newsbytes,
Daily E-Mail Alert, Tech Law Journal,
Censoring the Libraries, San Francisco Chronicle,
ALA Lawsuit Poll, Excite, March 19-23, 2001
Groups Ally to Protest Filtering Law
Signers of a statement criticizing Internet blocking as "error-prone, vulnerable, problematic, and unfairly discriminatory" include the ACLU, Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, the First Amendment Project, NetAction, the Online Policy Group, Peacefire, and People for the American Way, as well as several individuals, including librarians, Library Journal, February 5, 2001
Advocacy Groups Join to Oppose Mandatory Filters
A network of privacy and free-speech organizations and concerned individuals released a joint statement January 23 opposing Internet blocking technologies required by the Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA) passed by Congress December 21, American Libraries, January 29, 2001
Opposition to Library Filtering Grows
The issue of restricting Internet access to constitutionally protected material in the nation's libraries continued to make headlines last week, American Booksellers Association Industry Newsroom, January 26, 2001
Free-Speech, Privacy Advocates Band Together to Fight New Internet Filtering Law
A coalition of free-speech and privacy organizations this week launched a national campaign designed to warn the public about the inadequacies of a new federal filtering law and to pave the way for a legal challenge against the law on First Amendment grounds, Free! Speech, January 26, 2001
Advocates Protest Mandatory Net Filters
The American Civil Liberties Union, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and several other organizations and advocates are fighting a federal law that would require most of the nation's public schools to block depictions of child pornography, obscenity or other material deemed inappropriate for children, CNet News, January 24, 2001
American Library Association Votes to Challenge CIPA
The executive board of the American Library Association (ALA) voted yesterday to initiate legal action challenging the recently enacted Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), American Library Association, January 18, 2001
Related media coverage: New York Times, SlashDot, Wired News, ZDNet News, January 18-20, 2001
ACLU Moves To Block Filtering Law
The Associated Press reported that the American Civil Liberties Union plans to fight new legislation requiring all schools and public libraries that accept federal money to use Internet filtering software, ACLU, December 19, 2000

Organizations and Related Publications

ACLU and ALA File Challenges to Library Internet Censorship In Case Fast-Tracked for Supreme Court Review
Acting on behalf of public libraries, library patrons and website authors nationwide, the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Library Association filed separate legal challenges to a federal law that forces libraries to censor constitutionally protected speech online, ACLU and ALA, March 20, 2001
Related media releases:
Family Research Council defends Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA or CHIPA).
Blocking Can't Work
A new list of the top ten reasons why Internet blocking technology can't work especially in light of the U.S. Congress' requirement for blocking technology in all public schools and libraries, Online Policy Group, January 6, 2001
ALA's CIPA Web Site
A wealth of resources related to CIPA/CHIPA including a resolution on opposition to federally mandated Internet filtering, information on the ALA's legal challenge, and the ALA's libraries and the Internet toolkit, American Library Association
Joint Statement Media Release Organizing Tools
Organizational Endorsers Media Coverage Email Lists
Individual Endorsers Media Contacts Related Publications

 

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