Libraries that receive federal funds to provide Internet service must have a safe-technology plan, including filtering devices, in place by Oct. 28 or be in the process of developing such a plan. Those that refuse run the risk of losing the funds. The ACLU argues the law constitutes censorship and violates the First Amendment right to free speech. Requiring blocking devices on public computers also punishes people who can't afford home computers because it restricts the information that is available to them, said Chris Hansen, senior staff counsel with the ACLU's national offices in New York City. The American Library Association is fighting the law on grounds that the decision to install blocking devices on public computers should be made by local officials.
Supporters counter that computer filters are a small price to pay to protect children.
Pedophiles especially have found the public libraries a gold mine to try to seduce children. Many libraries across the country already have chosen to put filtering devices on their computers. Critics say such filters are ineffective because they block out some materials that most people would not consider objectionable while allowing some sexually graphic materials to get through. Hansen, of the ACLU, said frequently blocked materials include Web sites dedicated to safe sex or gay rights. A Disney World map and Web pages for Republican candidates for Congress also have been blocked, he said.