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Zeal in making sure libraries and schools implement the law (which they were given a mere 120 days to do) should be tempered by the knowledge that some porn sites will still get through—and by the knowledge that libraries do have a special responsibility to provide information to their patrons. At home, an overzealous filter that blocks "sextet" or "Dick Cheney" is an annoyance. At a library, it can be a big problem.

Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Hiawatha Bray's Boston Globe column has been reprinted at SurfControl's Web site.

A 1997 study by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) found that some Internet filters mistakenly registered 98 percent of the information at sites like the American Red Cross, the United Way and the NAACP as "objectionable."

Last year a library in Michigan rejected the use of filters for adults, saying filters severely limited the search capabilities of users. Read the Associated Press story here.

Other news articles and opinion pieces on the Children's Internet Protection Act include:

Child-protection law faces challenge — USA Today (Feb. 15, 2001)

Library association plans suit over filtering — IDG/CNN (Jan. 19, 2001)

Filtering software raises ire — The Seattle Times (Jan. 15, 2001)

Internet blocking for blockheads — Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune (Jan. 1, 2001)

Congress quietly censors the Web — Editorial, Chicago Tribune (Dec. 23, 2000)

Web filtering law likely to launch court showdown — UPI (Dec. 23, 2000)

Filtering Law Sparks Fight | ACLU Opposes Mandatory Software Filters in Libraries — Associated Press/ABCNews.com (Dec. 20, 2000)

ACLJ Promises Legal Defense for New Federal Law Requiring Public Libraries to Use Porn-Blocking Software — Press Release (Dec. 20, 2000)

Congress passes Net filtering bill — AP/USA Today (Dec. 19, 2000)

The First Amendment Center followed the development of the Children's Internet Protection Act over the past two years:

Senate to consider another Internet filtering bill (Aug. 18, 1999)

Children's Internet Protection Act clears Senate Commerce Committee (June 24, 1999)

Senators introduce Children's Internet Protection Act (Jan. 26, 1999)

Previous Christianity Today stories about filter laws include:

Internet Pornography Use Common in many Libraries, Report Says | Librarian-researcher claims American Library Association thwarted study (March 20, 2000)

Child Online Protection Act Challenged | (Dec. 17, 1998)

Christian Leaders Target Cyberporn | (Jan. 6, 1997)

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February 19 2001, Vol. 45, No. 3