Censorship of Library and School Computers

[bill.stewart at pobox.com]

Sounds like an obvious target for activism to add a requirement that
any censorware systems selected be clearly identified to the public,
including the kids, and that the blocking criteria and lists be
made available to the parents and adult library users.
In particular, many local jurisdictions have sunshine laws that
might have applicability, and anything so blatantly Un-American 
and dangerous as third-party censorship certainly needs to be watched.

On the legal side, the idea of a Federal mandate that state and local
jurisdictions make decisions that cannot be reviewed by the Feds
seems pretty dodgy; certainly the whole issue ought to be reviewable
by courts in response to a citizen lawsuit, even if Federal prosecutors
can't initiate actions about it.

At 09:47 AM 2/10/98 -0800, Robert Cannon wrote to CYBERIA-L at LISTSERV.AOL.COM,
>Sen. McCain has introduced his bill to require schools and libraries
>that acquire Internet access using the universal service fund to
>restrict the access of children to indecency.  The text of the Bill can
>be found at ftp://ftp.loc.gov/pub/thomas/c105/s1619.is.txt  It already
>has three cosponsors, one of which is our friend Dan "no I wont give up"
>Coats.

[Quotes from text of bill about how schools and libraries need systems
to block material "deemed to be inappropriate for minors";
schools have to select and promise to install to request the money,
while libraries have to employ it on one or more computers,
though the language appears to be crafted sufficiently vaguely
as to not require them to use it on all their computers 
(or even necessarily on computers accessible to kids :-) ]

>       `(4) LOCAL DETERMINATION OF CONTENT- For purposes of
>        paragraphs (2) and (3), the determination of what matter is
>        inappropriate for minors shall be made by the school, school
>        board, library or other authority responsible for making the
>        required certification. No agency or instrumentality of the
>        United States Government may--
>           `(A) establish criteria for making that determination;
>           `(B) review the determination made by the certifying
>            school, school board, library, or other authority; or
>           `(C) consider the criteria employed by the certifying
>            school, school board, library, or other authority in the
>            administration of subsection (h)(1)(B).'.
>
>
				Thanks! 
					Bill
Bill Stewart, bill.stewart at pobox.com
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