Congress passed a bill December 15 that would require many secondary and elementary schools and public libraries receiving federal technology funds to install Internet filters on their computers. The measure cleared the Senate in June after being attached to HR 4577, the spending bills for the Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services. The bill has provoked an interesting combination of opponents, from the American Civil Liberties Union to the Christian Coalition to companies that sell blocking software.
All opponents say the bill is a bad way to teach children responsible Internet use.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is on record opposing the bill, but few other legislators joined him. He opposes all mandatory filters, advocating instead provisions that would require Internet providers to distribute filtering software free or at production cost. The ACLU has vowed to fight the bill's requirement that blocking software be installed on public libraries in court.