Library computers can block porn—but Wicca? ACLU says no

[icymist]

I work on occasion from my local public library, a wonderful spot with huge glass windows overlooking an attached park. The views are nice, the quiet is terrific, and the free WiFi is indispensable. But the Internet connectivity comes with limits, in the form of a content filter that periodically prevents me from accessing research materials. Infuriating, yes. But illegal?

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has just filed a complaint (PDF) on behalf of a Salem, Missouri resident named Anaka Hunter, who contends that the Salem public library is unconstitutionally blocking her ability to access information on "minority" religious views. Federal and state law both govern libraries in Missouri, which are generally ordered to block access to obscene online material and child pornography. But the Salem library allegedly goes far beyond the mandate.

The library's "Netsweeper" content filtering system can block a huge variety of material, from porn to P2P to "occult" to "criminal skills," but it's up to the institution to choose which content categories will get filtered. Hunter claims that while looking into Native American and Wiccan religious practices, she was repeatedly halted by the filter's "occult" and "criminal skills" categories. When she complained, she says that the library staff wasn't especially helpful. According to the ACLU complaint:

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/library-computers-can-block-pornbut-wicca.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss

[icymist]

1. More on this subject:

Suit filed over blocking of religious content


By:JIM SALTER | 01/03/12 3:18 PM
Associated Press.


The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit Tuesday against a small Missouri town's public library, claiming it unconstitutionally blocks access to websites related to Wicca and other minority religions.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in St. Louis on behalf of Anaka Hunter, a resident of Salem, a largely Christian community of about 5,000 residents in the Missouri Ozarks. It claims that Hunter was trying to do research at the Salem Public Library but filtering software blocked access to many sites about religions such as Wicca, an earth-based religion, derived from pre-Christian religions and magical practices that promote a peaceful and balanced lifestyle. Hunter was also unable to access sites about Native American Religions.

The suit said some religions were labeled "occult" or even "criminal."


Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/news/2012/01/suit-filed-over-blocking-religious-content/2057516#ixzz1ie0DgX8W