Comments on: Educating CIPA http://freerangelibrarian.com/2003/11/14/educating-cipa/ K.G. Schneider's blog on librarianship, writing, and everything else, since 2003. Sat, 22 Nov 2008 04:30:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: MetBlogger - Information Technology in Education http://freerangelibrarian.com/2003/11/14/educating-cipa/#comment-90 MetBlogger - Information Technology in Education Mon, 21 Mar 2005 07:54:04 +0000 http://www.freerangelibrarian.com/2003/11/14/educating-cipa/#comment-90 <strong>A Safer Internet for Children</strong> Students, researchers, and anyone with a web browser can go online and quickly find definitions, articles, and research data on any topic. Unless appropriate measures are taken, the very open and free nature of the internet can lead to undesirable resu... A Safer Internet for Children

Students, researchers, and anyone with a web browser can go online and quickly find definitions, articles, and research data on any topic. Unless appropriate measures are taken, the very open and free nature of the internet can lead to undesirable resu…

]]> By: Jay Currie http://freerangelibrarian.com/2003/11/14/educating-cipa/#comment-89 Jay Currie Sat, 15 Nov 2003 19:29:08 +0000 http://www.freerangelibrarian.com/2003/11/14/educating-cipa/#comment-89 "9. Because E-Rate is an after-service reimbursement, creative solutions to CIPA filtering requirements are somewhat of a crapshoot. The technical aspects of “disabling” Internet filters were not addressed in CIPA, and the FCC did not clarify. This means it is unknown, to use two commonly-discussed examples, if it is CIPA-compliant to allow adult users to disable filters through a signed form or through self-selection on a Web screen." Interestingly, the FCC has set a "good faith" test for filtering solutions. In other words, a library has to certify that it is making a good faith attempt to comply with CIPA. Various creative solutions, in the absence of any direct prohibition, provided that they are made with the objective of complying with CIPA while paying heed to the SCOTUS decision, will almost certainly be seen as having been made in good faith. For example, the IF2K click through option, which allows patrons to simply make their own decision as to accessing blocked material, is arguably a good faith attempt to meet the rules for CIPA compliance and follow the direction of the Supreme Court with respect to disabling filters for adults. As a good faith solution, a library employing the "click through option" could certify its compliance with CIPA for E-Rate purposes. “9. Because E-Rate is an after-service reimbursement, creative solutions to CIPA filtering requirements are somewhat of a crapshoot.
The technical aspects of “disabling” Internet filters were not addressed in CIPA, and the FCC did not clarify. This means it is unknown, to use two commonly-discussed examples, if it is CIPA-compliant to allow adult users to disable filters through a signed form or through self-selection on a Web screen.”

Interestingly, the FCC has set a “good faith” test for filtering solutions. In other words, a library has to certify that it is making a good faith attempt to comply with CIPA. Various creative solutions, in the absence of any direct prohibition, provided that they are made with the objective of complying with CIPA while paying heed to the SCOTUS decision, will almost certainly be seen as having been made in good faith.

For example, the IF2K click through option, which allows patrons to simply make their own decision as to accessing blocked material, is arguably a good faith attempt to meet the rules for CIPA compliance and follow the direction of the Supreme Court with respect to disabling filters for adults. As a good faith solution, a library employing the “click through option” could certify its compliance with CIPA for E-Rate purposes.

]]> By: Jay Currie http://freerangelibrarian.com/2003/11/14/educating-cipa/#comment-88 Jay Currie Sat, 15 Nov 2003 19:18:54 +0000 http://www.freerangelibrarian.com/2003/11/14/educating-cipa/#comment-88 "6. Filters hide blocked sites in encrypted lists, eliminating accountability on their end and sunshine on our end. This was not discussed in the CIPA decision and is probably irrelevant as far as future court cases are concerned (which does not make this point unimportant)." Not all filters encrypt their lists. And no library should buy a filter which does. Filtering per se may be doubtful; but if you do not see the block list you have no idea at all what is being blocked. If follows that the minimum standard for evaluating a filter is that its block list is availible to the library. IF 2K does this and there is no reason why other filters cannot be made to disclose if libraries simply refuse to talk to the vendor without the list being on the table. “6. Filters hide blocked sites in encrypted lists, eliminating accountability on their end and sunshine on our end. This was not discussed in the CIPA decision and is probably irrelevant as far as future court cases are concerned (which does not make this point unimportant).”

Not all filters encrypt their lists. And no library should buy a filter which does. Filtering per se may be doubtful; but if you do not see the block list you have no idea at all what is being blocked.

If follows that the minimum standard for evaluating a filter is that its block list is availible to the library. IF 2K does this and there is no reason why other filters cannot be made to disclose if libraries simply refuse to talk to the vendor without the list being on the table.

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