Currently browsing posts tagged: Internet filtering.

More on Internet Censorship in Libraries: ACLU vs. Salem Public Library

I haven’t set foot in a physical library for at least three years, so it’s somewhat amusing to me that I’m suddenly obsessed with the question of Internet censorship in libraries. And yet, it’s a vital discussion: As more of our resources go digital, ensuring that information in our libraries stays free and unfettered becomes [...]

10.01.2012

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LA Times asks: “Porn in the library – censorship vs. decency?”

The LA Times, spurred by a November report of a homeless man arrested for masturbating in a library while looking at Internet porn, asks whether it’s legitimate to censor pornography in libraries.  Though a number of commenters were–as is typical–quick to shout “of course!”, the Times actually makes an important case: “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” was [...]

02.01.2012

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West Censoring East: Or Why Websense Thinks My Blog is Pornography

Today, the OpenNet Initiative has released a paper, authored by Helmi Noman and myself, enumerating the widespread use of American- and Canadian-built filtering technologies in the Middle East and North Africa.  The paper, entitled “West Censoring East: The Use of Western Technologies by Middle East Censors 2010-2011“, looks closely at Websense, McAfee’s SmartFilter, and Netsweeper [...]

28.03.2011

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A Deeper Look into Tunisian Internet Censorship

This report was written jointly by Sami Ben Gharbia and Astrubal; I translated it from its original French into English and am sharing it here.  Originally posted at Global Voices Advocacy. We learned that the censorship imposed illegally on hundreds of Tunisian blogs and websites, both Tunisians and foreigners, was “shut off” temporarily for few [...]

18.08.2010

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Let Me Google That For You

In the past week, I’ve encountered far too much lazy journalism when it comes to Internet filtering; young journos calling to ask for the basics of filtering (and I’m far too polite to send them here), mostly, and now, crap like this. In the first few paragraphs, the author of the article states quite clearly [...]

24.03.2010

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I Love Bruegger’s Bagels, or Why Panera Can Seriously Bite Me

My love-hate relationship with Panera Bread has officially turned to all-hate, all the time.  I spent the majority of last Sunday at Panera’s Brookline location, in an effort to plow through my workload uninterrupted.  Mind you, the food at Panera is delicious for fast food…ever since my high school days of sneaking away to Panera [...]

08.02.2009

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Ridding the Internet of Child Porn: Filtering isn’t the Answer

Today’s op-ed in Australian IT by Bernadette McMenamin, CEO of an organization called Child Wise is naive at best, dangerous at worst.  McMenamin, whose organization seeks to prevent child sexual abuse, claims that Australia’s internet filtering scheme is the solution to preventing child pornography on the Internet.  She argues that ISP-level filtering is one part [...]

05.02.2009

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