The internet is a gateway to information, all information. There are countless educational resources and inspiring creative works, but the web is also rife with questionable material. When children have access to the internet, they have access to this seemingly infinite pool of data.
For many parents and concerned citizens, this leads to the problem of children being exposed to indecent information. Internet content filtering software was developed to block this material. Pornographic sites, violent content, and anything deemed as negative by private manufacturers, is filtered out by web blockers. In theory, kids are shielded from adult content; but, can a software program really protect the innocent?
The Ideal of Web Content Filtering
The concept of web content filtering is meant to solve the issue of online indecent exposure. Should a ten-year old be able to open a pornographic website while surfing the net at home? Should young students be able to watch violent videos online while at the public library? Web blockers allow parents to decide what information is filtered from their child's online experience. Questionable internet content is blocked on computers in public schools and libraries.
As a result, parents, teachers, and caretakers should feel confident that children are only viewing wholesome information. The problem of sexual, violent, or otherwise offensive content is solved. Unfortunately, this is only the idea of web content filters. In reality, this software has many flaws, and enough negative repercussions to make their use just as questionable as the material that is being censored.
The Reality of Filtering Internet Content
In reality, web blockers censor some, but not all 'bad' material, as well as some 'good' material. How internet content filtering software works is the inherent flaw. For the most part, websites are blocked based on keyword content. Certain keywords are chosen by the makers of the filtering software. When those specific words or phrases are used on a web page, the entire site is blocked. As a result, valuable information is filtered, along with questionable material.
For example, a site on breast cancer awareness may be blocked because of the use of the keyword 'breast.' The censorship watch organization, Peacefire, has researched the effects of web blockers. They have found that many acceptable sites are inadvertently censored, such as the web site for Planned Parenthood, the American Museum of Natural History, and even content from CNN.
Because private companies make web content software, they decide what keywords may be considered a negative influence. They also develop a list of specific sites to block, again, which they deem as offensive. This information is usually not accessible to the software user, leaving parents and educators in the dark as to exactly what they are blocking their children from viewing.
Web Blockers and Freedom of Choice
Are web blockers right or wrong? Some people may agree with web filtering, and others may disagree. Parents should have the freedom of choice, to censor the internet for their children or not. At home it is a personal choice, in public it may not be. With the Children's Internet Protection Act, passed in 2000, public schools which accept funding for computers or internet services, are required to have some sort of internet filtering system in place. As a result, children who go to schools and libraries in lower-income communities may not have access to acceptable information. The Free Expression Policy Project has found that filtering limits research in areas such as politics, science, health, and the arts.
Internet content filtering is supposed to protect the innocent. As the software is imperfect, the reality of web blocking is quite different than the ideal. With an awareness of what filtering software actually does, more people can actively choose if censoring the internet is right for them or not.
Sources:
Satterfield, Brian. "Understanding Content Filtering: A FAQ for Nonprofits." (TechSoup)
The Free Expression Policy Project
Brenna Coleman - Brenna is a freelance writer focusing on natural health and beauty. She has written hundreds of articles, helping readers find ways to ...
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