Library Group To Target Secrecy Of Filter Vendors
from the good-for-them dept
Since the Supreme Court is now making it tougher for libraries to avoid using internet filters on their computers, a library group has decided to turn their attention to the ridiculous secrecy surrounding what those filters actually block. Most filtering companies won't reveal what they're blocking, claiming that it's a trade secret. The problem, of course, is that there's no way to review what's being blocked to make sure it actually deserves to be blocked. So, the American Library Association is asking the filtering companies to open themselves up to some scrutiny, and let people review exactly what they're filtering and what criteria they use to build their filters. Of course, the filtering companies have absolutely no interest in telling anyone this information. What they're really afraid of is that if they reveal that info, people will realize that these filters don't work very well. However, with the ALA recommending that libraries only use filters that have the list revealed, it could take away business from those companies that still want to remain in the dark.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
What are the standards for compliance with CIPA?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: What are the standards for compliance with CIP
[ link to this | view in thread ]
No Subject Given
a consortium to write a filter specifically for
library use? Doing this would probably be a lot
less expensive than buying commercial filters,
and then they would know exactly how it works.
[ link to this | view in thread ]