Old Organizations and Related Publications

	Setting Up a Simple Filtering Circumventor
	You can turn your home computer into a miniature Web server that you and your friends can connect to when your away-from-home Internet access gets censored, Peacefire (April 25, 2003)

Sex and the Internet OPG Executive Director Will Doherty presented a program entitled "Sex and the Internet" to the annual conference of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality in San Jose, CA, Online Policy Group (April 12, 2003)

The Great Firewall of China OPG Executive Director Will Doherty presented a program entitled "The Great Firewall of China: Filtering, Blocking, and Government Censorship" to the annual Computers, Freedom, and Privacy conference in New York City, Online Policy Group (April 3, 2003)

	OPG Climbs "Great Firewall" at Computers Freedom and Privacy Conference
	OPG Executive Director Will Doherty will lead a plenary entitled "The Great Firewall of China - Internet Filtering and Free Expression" at the Computers, Freedom, and Privacy conference taking place at the New Yorker Hotel from 10:30am - 12:00 noon, Online Policy Group (April 3, 2003)

	Amendments to Australian FOI Act
	The Federal Government has introduced proposed amendments to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 ("FOI Act") designed to further prevent public scrutiny (and potential criticism) of the operation and administration of the Internet censorship regime, Electronic Frontiers Australia (March 30, 2003)

	U.S. Supreme Court Arguments on Children's Internet Protection Act (Adobe PDF format)
	The oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in the American Library Association, ACLU, et al's case against the library portion of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) are now online, U.S. Supreme Court (March 19, 2003)

	EFA Comments on Australia Institute's Mandatory Filtering Proposal
	Digital rights activists in Australia are responding to a campaign for mandatory filtering of all Internet access by Australian ISPs, Electronic Frontiers Australia (March 18, 2003)

	Appeals Court Decision on Children's Online Protection Act
	The full opinion issued by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in striking down the Children's Online Protection Act is now online, U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals (pdf file) (March 7, 2003)

	High Court Leans Toward Allowing Library Net Filtering
	During oral arguments yesterday, Supreme Court justices seemed largely supportive of the 2001 Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), which requires federally-funded public libraries to install filtering software, First Amendment Center Online (March 6, 2003)

	Seth Finkelstein Demonstrates Problems with Filtering Software
	Software expert Seth Finkelstein has compiled a list of censorware bloopers, supporting his argument that "censorware is about control over what people are permitted to read", Seth Finkelstein's Infothought (March 5, 2003)

	Congressman Says Filtering Crucial to Future of Public Libraries
	The principal author of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) argued before the Supreme Court that without filtering, America's libraries will become "glorified government-funded adult bookstores", Rep. Ernest Istook (R-OK) Online (March 5, 2003)

	ACLU, ALA and Amici File Supreme Court Briefs Arguing that CIPA is Unconstitutional
	Yesterday, ACLU and the American Library Association filed their briefs in the United States Supreme Court arguing that CIPA, the Children's Internet Protection Act, is unconstitutional, and that the injunction issued by a special three judge court prohibiting the enforcement of CIPA should be upheld, Censorware Project (February 11, 2003)

U.S. Supreme Court Considers Internet Blocking in Libraries The Online Policy Group (OPG) and software expert Seth Finkelstein today submitted a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court supporting a lower court decision that the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) places unconstitutional limitations on free speech of library patrons by requiring the use of technology protection measures in libraries receiving certain federal funding or discounts, Online Policy Group (February 10, 2003)

	MPs Gagged From Using Colourful Language in Emails
	The Parliamentary Communications Directorate has decided they will censor any email sent by MPs or their staff that contains 'profanities of a sexual or offensive nature', Scottish Liberal Democrats (January 16, 2003)

	The Spam Problem: Moving Beyond RBLs
	Alternatives to Realtime Blackhole Lists (RBLs) should be actively deployed because of serious well-known problems with the RBL spam filtering technique, Philip Jacob (December 30, 2002)

Supreme Court Sets Schedule for CIPA Appeal Arguments on the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) will be held Wednesday, March 5, 2003, according to a schedule released December 18, by the U.S. Supreme Court, American Library Association (December 19, 2002)

See No Evil: How Internet Filters Affect the Search for Online Health Information

With a case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court challenging mandatory filters in libraries, the Foundation conducted a comprehensive study that indicates Internet filters most frequently used by schools and libraries can effectively block pornography without significantly impeding access to online health information - but only if they aren’t set at their most restrictive levels, Kaiser Family Foundation (December 10, 2002)

	Australian Internet Blocking Law a Failure, Group Urges Repeal
	Electronic Frontiers Australia submitted a review of the Australian Broadcasting Services Act of 1992 asking the government to repeal the provisions requiring Internet blocking, Electronic Frontiers Australia (November 8, 2002)

	SurfControl Reports First Quarter of Net Profitability
	SurfControl (London:SRF, Nasdaq Europe:SRFC), the world's number one Web and email filtering company, today reported its first quarter of net profitability, SurfControl (November 5, 2002)

	Taming the WWW: A Provocative Discussion on Internet Filtering
	OPG Executive Director Will Doherty organizes panel on Internet blocking at OpenGov02 conference, California First Amendment Coalition (October 19, 2002)

Harmful to Minors Review

Judith Levine's "Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex" is a must-read for those who seek to understand American attitudes toward sex education and childhood sexuality and for those interested in how to use the Internet to reach out to young people who are exploring their sexuality and seeking sexual health information, despite Internet filtering, University of Minnesota Press (October 17, 2002)

OPG ENEWS OPG has revived its online newsletter, chock full of action alerts, OPG project and organizational news, online policy news, and lots more, Online Policy Group (October 8, 2002)

Flash Animation Opposing Blocking in Schools Share this fun animation opposed to Internet blocking in schools, Electronic Frontier Foundation and Online Policy Group (September 27, 2002)

School Communities Give Internet Filtering Law Failing Grade School administrators, along with students, teachers, parents, and school librarians, in San Francisco, New York, and Boston speak out against federal mandates for Internet blocking or filtering software in public schools, Online Policy Group (September 18, 2002)

Internet Filtering Software Wrongly Blocks Many Sites The Online Policy Group (OPG) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) today released preliminary results of research on Internet blocking or filtering in schools, Online Policy Group (September 18, 2002)

	Students, Educators and Activists Speak Out Against Federally Mandated Blocking Software in Schools
	Students, parents, educators and free speech advocates across the country spoke out today against the federal mandate for Internet blocking software on school computers that went into effect at the beginning of this school year, ACLU (September 18, 2002)

	Fact Sheet on Internet Filters
	This fact sheet summarizes the most salient facts about Internet filters, Free Expression Policy Project (September 17, 2002)

	Google, Alta Vista: Resist Chinese Censorship
	Human Rights Watch Letter to CEO of Google and AltaVista Company, Human Rights Watch (September 7, 2002)

	The Digital Disconnect: The Widening Gap Between Internet-Savvy Students and Their Schools
	The American Institutes for Research was commissioned by the Pew Internet & American Life Project to conduct a qualitative study of the attitudes and behaviors of Internet-using public middle and high school students drawn from across the country, Pew Internet & American Life Project (August 14, 2002)

	Edelman v. N2H2, Inc. - Case Summary & Documents
	The ACLU has filed a new lawsuit challenging the DMCA on behalf of Ben Edelman, a Harvard student who has played an active role in several cyberlaw litigation matters, Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School (July 25, 2002)

ACLU Sues for Right to Decode Blocked-Site Lists The ACLU has filed a lawsuit challenging portions of a 1998 law, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which make it illegal to write and publish programs that decode the lists of sites blocked by blocking software programs, American Civil Liberties Union (July 25, 2002)

	Staff Misuse Web Despite Policies
	Four out of 10 employers are still receiving complaints about staff wasting time on the web despite the majority having polices in place to prevent misuse, Personnel Today via Websense (July 9, 2002)

	Federal District Court Overturns CIPA
	The law, signed by President Clinton in 2000 to go into effect July 1, would have forced libraries to equip computers with software designed to block access to Internet pornography and other material deemed harmful to minors or risk losing federal funding, American Libraries (June 3, 2002)

	Children's Internet Protection Act Unconstitutional
	A federal appeals court ruled that the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) is unconstitutional because it requires libraries to violate the First Amendment rights of their patrons, Online Policy Group (May 31, 2002)

	ALA Applauds Federal Court Ruling on the Children's Internet Protection Act
	The American Library Association (ALA) applauds the decision of the federal court in Philadelphia today, which ruled unanimously that the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) is unconstitutional, American Library Association (May 31, 2002)

	Youth, Pornography, and the Internet
	A new report suggests education rather than Internet blocking software as a better way to protect children online, Computer Science and Telecommunications Board (May 2, 2002)

	Court Panel Hears Final Witnesses in CIPA Trial
	The federal court three-judge panel heard from the final witnesses in the American Library Association’s (ALA) legal challenge to the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), American Library Association (April 3, 2002)

	ALA Delivers Closing Arguments in CIPA Trial
	American Library Association (ALA) attorneys today presented closing arguments in their legal challenge to the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), American Library Association (April 3, 2002)

	ALA Brings Chelton to the Stand in Near-Final Day of CIPA Trial
	The American Library Association (ALA) presented its final witness yesterday in its legal challenge to the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), American Library Association (April 3, 2002)

	CIPA Trial Enters Second Week
	The government returned with its witnesses yesterday morning in the second week of the American Library Association's (ALA) legal challenge to the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), American Library Association (April 2, 2002)

	CIPA Trial Wraps Third Day
	The government began presenting its case in the American Library Association’s (ALA) legal challenge to the Children’s Internet Protection Act yesterday, American Library Association (March 29, 2002)

	CIPA Trial Recesses Until Monday
	The government called the last of this week’s witnesses in the American Library Association’s legal challenge to the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), American Library Association (March 29, 2002)

	ALA Presents Expert Testimony on Filter Failures at CIPA Trial
	Day two of the American Library Association's (ALA) challenge to the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) focused on expert testimony regarding the failure of filters to block all illegal content, as required by the law, American Library Association (March 27, 2002)

	Effectiveness of Internet Filtering Software Products
	A newly-released report on a detailed study conducted in September 2001 to test the performance of 14 filtering programs using nearly 900 websites and finds that the products differ in their effectiveness and that none provide perfect filtering of content, Australian Broadcasting Authority (Adobe pdf file) (March 26, 2002)

	ALA Presents Arguments in First Day of CIPA Challenge
	The American Library Association (ALA) opened its challenge to the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) yesterday in the District Court of Eastern Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, American Library Association (March 26, 2002)

	FRC Enters Case Aimed at Protecting Kids on the Internet
	Family Research Council's senior director of Legal Studies, Jan LaRue, has submitted an amicus (friend-of-the-court) brief to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in defense of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), Family Research Council (March 22, 2002)

	Government Censorship Trial Begins Monday
	In a nine-day trial set to begin on Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union will argue that a federal law that forces libraries to censor constitutionally protected speech online is unconstitutional and should be permanently struck down, American Civil Liberties Union via Electronic Frontier Foundation (March 22, 2002)

	Birds, Bees, and Filtering Technology: The Impact of CIPA on Adolescent Health
	Stacy Lau's paper analyzes the effects of the Children's Internet Protection Act on the health of minors, Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy, Princeton University (Adobe pdf file) (January 8, 2002)

	Internet Filters -- A Public Policy Report
	In the spring and summer of 2001, the Free Expression Policy Project of the National Coalition Against Censorship surveyed all of the studies and tests that it was able to locate describing the actual operation of 19 products or software programs that are commonly used to filter out World Wide Web sites and other communications on the Internet, Free Expression Policy Project (October 1, 2001)

	Cyber Liberties Threatened by Congress, Say Civil Rights Activists
	As a special report to the Online Policy Group, Sara Nordin discusses the various sides of CHIPA, Online Policy Group (June 9, 2001)

	Who Is E-Mailing Our Kids Act
	A bill proposed by Felix Grucci, Jr. (R-NY) would require schools and libraries recieving E-rate funding to block anonymous web and emailing services, Online Policy Group (May 16, 2001)

Internet Blocking in Schools and Libraries: Law, Litigation, and Community Response Internet blocking presentation on technology, legal, and policy issues followed by a panel at the San Francisco Public Library with David Burt (N2H2), Will Doherty (OPG/EFF), Lee Tien (EFF), Mark Leno (SF Board of Supervisors), and Susan Hildreth (SF Public Library), Online Policy Group and Electronic Frontier Foundation (May 6, 2001)

AOL Deploys Rulespace Technology Within Parental Controls AOL has integrated RuleSpace's Contexion™ Services technology into the web content filtering feature of AOL Parental Controls, RuleSpace (May 2, 2001)

Internet Blocking Policy Presentation A presentation on Internet blocking and policy implications by Will Doherty, OPG Executive Director, at the University of Southern Illinois at Edwardsville, Online Policy Group (April 23, 2001)

American Library Association Files Lawsuit Challenging Children’s Internet Protection Act The American Library Association (ALA) today has filed a lawsuit in Philadelphia to overturn the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), which mandates the use of blocking technology on computers in public libraries, American Library Association (March 20, 2001)

ACLU Files Challenge to Library Internet Censorship In Case Fast-Tracked for Supreme Court Review Acting on behalf of public libraries, library patrons and website authors nationwide, the American Civil Liberties Union today filed a major legal challenge to a federal law that forces libraries to censor constitutionally protected speech online, American Civil Liberties Union (March 20, 2001)

	ACLU and ALA File Challenges to Library Internet Censorship in Case Fast-Tracked for Supreme Court Review
	Acting on behalf of public libraries, library patrons and website authors nationwide, the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Library Association filed separate legal challenges to a federal law that forces libraries to censor constitutionally protected speech online, ACLU and ALA (March 20, 2001)

	Censorware Site Resurrected
	Rising phoenix-like from the ashen carcass of Censorware.org, the new slashdot-style Censorware.net has a lot to offer on blocking technology topics, Online Policy Group (March 14, 2001)

	Livermore, CA Lawsuit
	A California Court of Appeal upheld this anti-Internet blocking decision: "In this case we hold that a city is not subject to suit for damages or an injunction for offering unrestricted access to the Internet through computers at a public library", Censorware.net (March 6, 2001)

	Livermore, CA Lawsuit
	A California Court of Appeal upheld this anti-Internet blocking decision: "In this case we hold that a city is not subject to suit for damages or an injunction for offering unrestricted access to the Internet through computers at a public library", California Courts (pdf file) (March 6, 2001)

	American Library Association Votes to Challenge CIPA
	The executive board of the American Library Association (ALA) voted yesterday to initiate legal action challenging the recently enacted Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), American Library Association (January 18, 2001)

Joint Statement Opposing Legislative Requirements for School and Library Internet Blocking Technologies

Join this growing constituency of organizations and individuals who have published a joint statement in response to the US Congress' passage of legislation requiring blocking technology in all public schools and libraries participating in federal programs in order to galvanize opposition to mandatory blocking technology and to promote educational methods for youth to use the Internet safely and effectively, Online Policy Group (January 17, 2001)

Blocking Can't Work A new list of the top ten reasons why Internet blocking technology can't work especially in light of the U.S. Congress' requirement for blocking technology in all public schools and libraries, Online Policy Group (January 6, 2001)

Online Oddities and Atrocities Museum Welcome to the equivalent of the wax museum of the online world... permit its horrors to titillate you, then confront those who spread hate and defamation and organize to prevent Internet blocking software from taking over access in your local public schools and libraries, Online Policy Group (January 1, 2001)

	ALA's CIPA Website
	A wealth of resources related to the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA or CHIP) including a resolution on opposition to federally mandated Internet filtering, information on the ALA's legal challenge, and the ALA's libraries and the Internet toolkit, American Library Association (January 1, 2001)

	ACLU Moves to Block Filtering Law
	The Associated Press reported that the American Civil Liberties Union plans to fight new legislation requiring all schools and public libraries that accept federal money to use Internet filtering software, ACLU (December 19, 2000)

Peacefire Issues Software to Block the Blocking Technology In response to Congressional legislation requiring blocking technology in public schools and libraries, Peacefire has released a bypass program which can disable all popular Windows blocking software with the click of a button, Peacefire (December 18, 2000)

	ACLU Promises Legal Challenge as Congress Adopts Bill Imposing Internet Blocking in Libraries
	The American Civil Liberties Union said that it will soon launch a legal challenge to legislation adopted by Congress last week that would mandate the use of blocking software on computers in public libraries, ACLU (December 18, 2000)

	Guidelines and Considerations for Developing a Public Library Internet Use Policy
	Includes information on intellectual freedom, the First Amendment to the US Constitution, pornography, obscenity, Internet blocking technology, Internet use policies, and related court rulings, American Library Association (November 1, 2000)

ITAA Announces New Committee on Internet Management and Safety Some of the leading companies in the Internet safety and filtering industries had formed a new Committee on Internet Management and Safety, Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) (October 23, 2000)

Oppose Internet Censorship Fax the US Congress regarding Sen. John McCain and Rep. Ernest Istook's amendment to a spending bill that would require public schools and libraries that receive federal funding for Internet access to install Internet blocking software, ACLU (September 19, 2000)

My Experience With Dr. Laura Schlessinger and the Dr. Laura Show Robert S. Willard, Executive Director of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, recounts his experiences in appearing on the television talk show hosted by Laura Schlessinger, Robert S. Willard (September 15, 2000)

Public Libraries and the Internet 2000 The 2000 national survey of public library outlet Internet connectivity (in Adobe PDF format); a report based on research sponsored by the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science and conducted by John Carlo Bertot and Charles R. McClure, National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (September 7, 2000)

Peacefire Peacefire has an excellent selection of reports on various blocking technology products, a blocking software FAQ, and lots of other useful information, such as documentation of the vulnerability of blocking technology to simple workarounds by children, Peacefire (July 21, 2000)

	Survey of Internet Access Management in Public Libraries
	A report surveying public library filter use (in Adobe PDF format); based on research sponsored by the American Library Association and conducted by the Library Research Center of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (July 1, 2000)

Filtering and Internet Access A comprehensive introductory presentation about Internet blocking technology presented by Will Doherty to the Free Expression Network - West event entitled "Internet Access: Broadband and Filtering Issues" in San Francisco, Online Policy Group (May 25, 2000)

Filters and Freedom: Free Speech Perspectives on Internet Content Controls A collection of important essays on Internet blocking technology, Electronic Privacy Information Center (May 1, 2000)

Out on the Internet Remarks about filtering, online access, online privacy, and digital defamation prepared by Will Doherty for a Stanford University panel discussion at Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Awareness Week, GLAAD (April 3, 2000)

Access Denied, Version 2.0: The Continuing Threat Against Internet Access and Privacy and Its Impact on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Drawing upon a wide range of contributors from diverse fields and backgrounds, Access Denied Version 2.0 also addresses issues of online privacy and the growing "digital divide" in Internet access along racial, regional and socio-economic lines, GLAAD (December 1, 1999)

	Net Action
	The opposing point of view from the only public interest group against open access., (April 1, 1999)

	Moving Toward More Effective Public Internet Access
	The 1998 national survey of public library outlet Internet connectivity (in Adobe PDF format); a report based on research sponsored by the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science and the American Library Association and conducted by John Carlo Bertot and Charles R. McClure, National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (March 1, 1999)

Internet Filtration Panel Discussion An excellent early examination of Internet blocking technology issues in a RealAudio recording of a Harvard Internet Conference in 1998, Harvard College (May 28, 1998)

Barriers to the Internet: Race, Class, and Society GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry's remarks to the Harvard Internet Conference, GLAAD (May 28, 1998)

	The Internet Filter Assessment Project
	The purpose of this project was to take a hard look at Internet content filters from a librarian's point of view, Blue Highways (March 4, 1998)

Access Denied, Version 1.0: The Impact of Internet Filtering Software on the Lesbian and Gay Community The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) today announced from the historic Internet Summit the release of their comprehensive and groundbreaking report on Internet Filtering Software and ratings systems, GLAAD (December 2, 1997)

	A Practical Guide to Internet Filters
	An excellent introduction to Internet blocking technology, Karen Schneider (September 1, 1997)

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