2006
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[05.18.06] Internet Filters Fact Sheet Released
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The Breenan Center for Justice of the New York University School of Law has released a comprehensive white paper on the
status of Internet filtering software and hardware. Despite advances in technology, most filtering packages still rely on
keyword blocking, resulting in large amounts of legitimate information being blocked.
www.fepproject.org/policyreports/filters2.pdf
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[05.08.06] CoSN Joins Public-Private Partnership Targeting Online Safety
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CoSN has announced its participation in a new initiative designed to educate American teens on online safety. Help Keep
Kids Connected and Protected, managed by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), will combine the expertise and
resources from government agencies, education organizations and consumer advocates from around the country.
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[04.02.06] Law Tells Schools to Teach Students About Online Safety
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Virginia public schools will be required to teach students about Internet safety under a law passed by the General Assembly
and signed by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) last month, according to the
Washington Post.
2005
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[09.27.05] Agencies, Groups Join Forces to Promote Online Safety
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A number of government agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Homeland Security, along with the National Cyber
Security Alliance and the National Consumers League, today announced a new interactive consumer education campaign to help consumers stay safe
online. The resources, directed at concerns such as Internet fraud, security and protecting personal privacy, will be promoted under the
banner "OnGuard Online" and will be available at www.onguardonline.gov.
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[03.24.05] NCES Provides Update on Schools' Online Safety Efforts
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The National Center for Education Statistics provided an update to its annual survey on the use of the Internet and online technologies in K-12
found that schools are continuing to use a variety of approaches to try to ensure the online safety of their students.
In "Internet Access in U.S. Public Schools and Classrooms: 1994-2003," NCES found that almost all (97 percent) of public schools with Internet
access used a variety of technologies or procedures to control student access to inappropriate material. Ninety-three percent of schools
reported in 2003 that students' usage was monitored by teachers or other staff; 96 percent reported that they made use of blocking or filtering
technology; 83 percent required parents to sign a written contract concerning their children's Internet usage; 76 percent required students to
sign a written contract concerning their usage; 57 percent used monitoring software; 45 percent used honor codes and 39 percent allowed access
only to the intranet. Ninety-seven percent said they relied on a combination of approaches.
In addition, 95 percent of schools using technologies designed to prevent access to inappropriate materials said they disseminated information
about these rules and policies to students and parents. Sixty-six percent did so through a special notice to parents, 58 percent used
newsletters, 31 percent posted a message on the school website, 25 percent posted a message on a bulletin board at school, 17 percent had a
pop-up message at the point of login to a school computer or network and 5 percent used a different method. The full report is available at
nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2005015.
2004
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[09.02.04] Online Safety in School
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"Should you worry about online safety at school?" is the question posed in a recent PC Magazine article. Statistically, says the author, kids are
safer online at school than at home and often better supervised. Of interest to educators are Web safety policies and guidelines that should be in
place as best practices. The issue of cyber-bullying, and the liability issues related to this problem are also discussed.
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[06.30.04] Supreme Court Continues to Block Enforcement of COPA
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The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision issued on June 29, continued to block enforcement of the 1998 Child Online Protection Act (COPA), but permitted the
Bush administration to continue to make its case for the law in the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.
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[06.09.04] Dot Kids Gains Momentum
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At a recent hearing in the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, project leaders on the “kids.us” Internet domain delivered a status
report on the domain following its launch last September. The domain, which Subcommittee chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) likens to “the children’s section of
the library,” is intended as a child-friendly space with pre-approved, filtered content that is appropriate for minors.
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[05.18.04] Education Professors Make the Case Against Filtering
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In the May issue of Phi Delta Kappan, the professional journal for educators, education professors T.A. Callister Jr. and Nicholas C. Burbules argue
against the widespread use of filters in schools. The authors, however, do not address the requirements imposed by the Children's Internet Protection
Act on schools that receive certain kinds of E-rate discounts or federal funding for technology.
2003
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[09.03.03] Internet Resource Now Available for Kids' Safety Online
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A new Web site for parents, educators, government officials and media that offers authoritative resources on combating the dangers for kids on
the Internet is now available online. "NetSafeKids.org" is a comprehensive online service from the National Research Council of the
National Academies provides adults with a starting point for examining the myriad safety issues regarding children and the Internet.
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[08.16.03] NTIA Recommends Broader Definition of "Technology Protection Measure"
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In a study mandated by the Children's Internet Protection Act, the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration
recommends that the law's definition of "technology protection measure" be expanded to include more than just blocking and filtering technologies.
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[07.29.03] FCC Issues Order in Response to Supreme Court CIPA Decision
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The Federal Communications Commission adopted an order on July 23 that
specified how libraries are expected to comply with the Children's
Internet Protection Act, now that the Supreme Court has found the law to
be constitutional.
Additional information is also available on the website of American Library
Association.
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[06.24.03] Supreme Court Upholds Constitutionality of CIPA
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In a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court June 23 overturned a lower
court ruling and said that the Children's Internet Protection Act did
not amount to an unconstitutional restriction on the 1st Amendment
rights of library patrons.
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[04.07.03] House Votes to Curb Misleading Web Site Names
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Legislation making it a crime to knowingly use innocent-sounding Web
site names to lure children to adult-oriented materials was
overwhelmingly approved by the U.S. House in late March, 410-14. The
bill (H.R. 1104), known as the Child Abduction Prevention Act, seeks to
prevent children, schools and parents from accidentally browsing into
seemingly safe Web sites based on their misleading titles--such as
www.WhiteHouse.com.
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[03.07.03] Supreme Court Hears CIPA Arguments
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The American Library Association went before the U.S. Supreme Court on March 5 to argue that the Children's Internet Protection
Act is an unconstitutional restriction on the free speech rights of library patrons. The High Court case stems from a decision
last May by a special three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, which found that CIPA was unconstitutional
as it pertained to libraries.
2002
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[12.09.02] Kaiser Family Foundation Study Examines How School Filters Impact on Access to Health Information
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In a review of the Internet filtering products most commonly used by
schools, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation said December 10 that the
products did not significantly impede access to online health
information, but only when not set at their most restrictive levels...
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[11.22.02] Dot Kids Dot US Domain Passes Senate
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On November 15, 2002, the Senate passed H.R. 3833, the "Dot Kids Implementation and Efficiency Act," which requires the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to oversee implementation of a new second-level ".kids"
domain within the ".us" top-level domain. This bill was already passed by the House, and the President is expected to sign
it into law...
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[11.15.02] U.S. Supreme Court to Hear CIPA Case This Term
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The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Nov. 12 to review the constitutionality
of the portions of the Children's Internet Protection Act that require
libraries receiving certain kinds of federal funding to install filters
on their computers that access the Internet...
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[09.17.02] Schools Install Internet Filters
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Dale Alexander, the information technology director for Albuquerque, N.M., public schools, was not exactly a fan of filtering
software for blocking pornography and other Web sites deemed inappropriate for children...
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[09.16.02] Groups File Comments for NTIA Study
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Under the Children's Internet Protection Act, the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information
Administration is required to conduct a study of the current approaches used by schools to protect children online...
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[08.21.02] CoSN Submits Comments to NTIA for Review of Online Protection Technologies
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The Consortium for School Networking August 16, 2002, submitted comments to the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration for its review of blocking and filtering technologies, as it was required by Congress under the Children's
Internet Protection Act...
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[08.20.02] Study Notes Gap Between Student and Teacher Use of Internet
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Students report that there is a substantial disconnect between how they use the Internet for school and how they use the Internet
during the school day and under teacher direction, according to a new study conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life
Project...
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[07.22.02] BellSouth Foundation Awards $50,000 to the Consortium for School Networking
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The BellSouth Foundation announced today that CoSN will receive a $50,000 grant to help develop and disseminate a toolkit for
schools entitled, "Talking to Your Parents and Community About Internet Safety..."
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[07.01.02] Justice Department Says It Will Appeal CIPA Decision
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The Justice Department formally notified the Supreme Court June 28 that it will appeal a recent lower court decision
striking down those portions of the Children's Internet Protection Act that require libraries to use a technology
protection measure on computers that access the Internet...
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[06.27.02] NTIA Solicits Comments on Technology Protection Measures and Internet Safety Policies
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The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration is soliciting comments to evaluate whether
current blocking and filtering technology and Internet safety policies adequately address the needs of schools...
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[06.07.02] Survey Finds Most Schools Are Taking Steps to Promote Online Safety
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More than 90 percent of school districts report that they have installed a filtering solution and 78 percent report
that teachers supervise students' Internet use. Those were the findings of a new survey released by the National School
Boards Foundation...
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[05.31.02] District Court Overturns CIPA Requirements for Libraries
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A three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia May 31 overturned those portions of the Children's Internet
Protection Act that require libraries receiving certain kinds of federal technology funding to restrict access to some forms
of Internet content...
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[05.20.02] Media Literacy Report Released
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The Free Expression Policy Project has issued a new report, "Media Literacy: An Alternative to Censorship" which tracks the
history of media literacy education...
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[05.17.02] Supreme Court Sends COPA Case Back to Appeals Court
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The Supreme Court May 13 blocked enforcement of the Child Online Protection Act (COPA) until certain questions about its impact
on free speech could be resolved. The court said that reliance on "community standards" to define what is "harmful to minors"
on the Internet does not necessarily violate the 1st Amendment's protections for free speech...
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[05.09.02] National Research Council Study Concludes No Single Approach Can Protect Children from Online Pornography
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A two-year study by the National Academy of Sciences' National Research Council has concluded that no single approach
is sufficient to protect children from online pornography. Instead, the report recommends a combination of approaches
that can be adapted to fit the circumstances of different communities...
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[04.17.02] European Parliament Adopts Resolution on Managing Online Access
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The European Parliament voted, 460-0, on April 11 to approve a resolution that endorsed
self-regulatory approaches to "the protection of minors and human dignity" in accessing
Internet content...
2001
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[12.01.01] Online Users Warned About "Porn-Napping"
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School leaders have been advised to be on the lookout for "cyber-squatters"
who have reclaimed Internet domains that have been abandoned by legitimate
groups, including some in the education area...
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[11.21.01] Teachers Report Increased Use of Filtering Software
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Close to 73 percent of teachers with school access to the Internet report that their
school now uses filtering software, up from 61 percent in 2000. The data is from a
recent report by Quality Education Data entitled "Internet usage in Teaching, 2001-2002...
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[11.18.01] Dot-Kids, or Dot-Kids R Us?
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House lawmakers are considering having the government establish a
kid-friendly Internet domain since the international body that governs
domain names has refused to create a suffix for child-appropriate content...
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[10.30.01] Peer to Peer Opportunities: Keeping an Open Mind on File-Sharing Networks
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Earlier this year, the House Minority Staff Special Investigations Division
conducted a special investigation of Internet file-sharing applications at
the request of Representatives Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) and Steve
Largent (R-OK). The point of the investigation was to ascertain whether, and to
what degree, pornography was available to minors through peer-to-peer
file-sharing applications...
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[10.11.01] National Coalition Against Censorship Releases Filtering Report
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The Free Expression Policy Project of the National Coalition Against
Censorship has just published a new study, "Internet Filters: A Public Policy
Report," that compiles the results of what it describes as all of the studies
and tests that it could locate on 19 products or software programs that are
commonly used to filter Web sites and other Internet communications...
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[08.31.01] Separating Students From Smut
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Over the next year, schools will be in danger of losing precious
technology funding unless they can certify they have a filtering
system that blocks obscene websites...
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[08.14.01] Libraries' Case Against CIPA Moves Forward
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A three-judge federal district court panel July 26 refused to dismiss
lawsuits brought by the American Library Association and the American Civil
Liberties Union...
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[08.14.01] House Government Reform Committee Issues Report on Internet File Sharing
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The U.S. House Government Reform Committee's Special Investigations Division
issued a report on July 27 designed to alert parents that children can bypass
some filtering products...
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[08.14.01] S.C. Requires Computer Technicians to Report Pornography
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S.C. Gov. Jim Hodges signed legislation on July 20 that will require computer
technicians who view pornographic images while working on a computer to
report the name and address of the PC owner or user to law enforcement
authorities...
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[08.14.01] Pew Survey Provides More Data on Teens Online
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The Pew Internet and American Life Project recently published a detailed
study on teen activities online, called "Teenage Life Online: The Rise of the
Instant-Message Generation and the Internet's Impact on Friendships and
Family Relationships..."
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[04.06.01] FCC Issues Final Rules on E-rate Filtering Requirements
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The Federal Communications Commission April 5 released its final regulations
for implementing the E-rate portion of the Children's Internet Protection
Act...
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[03.19.01] Groups File Suit to Block CIPA
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The American Library Association and the American Civil Liberties Union filed
suit March 20 to block the enforcement of the Children's Internet Protection
Act, which would require schools and libraries that receive certain kinds of
federal technology support to install a "technology protection measure..."
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[03.12.01] State Court Says Library Not Responsible When Child Accessed Pornography
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A California appeals court has held that the City of Livermore cannot be held
responsible when a minor used computers at the city library to download
sexually explicit photos from the Internet...
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[01.30.01] ICRA Launches New Content Labeling System
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The Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA), an international independent,
non-profit organization, has launched a new Internet labeling system designed
to be adapted to different national, cultural and individual needs.
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[01.20.01] Judge Orders School Officials to Share Logs with Parent
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In November, a Rockingham County, NH, Superior Court judge ruled that school
officials had to make available to a parent Internet logs detailing the Web
sites visited by students, faculty and staff in the Exeter Region Cooperative
School District and the Exeter School District.
2000
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[12.06.00] Consortium Offers Unfiltered Advice on Filtering Software
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As Congress continues to grapple with the issue of requiring schools and
libraries to install Internet filtering software, a group of school
technology administrators is offering unfiltered advice on what educators
can do to safeguard students online.
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[11.28.00] New Web Site Helps Schools Decide How to Manage Internet Content
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Do internet filters really protect students from being exposed
to pornography, or do they just offer schools a false sense of
security? Are acceptable-use policies enough to protect schools
from legal action if a student downloads inappropriate material
from the web?
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[11.15.00] White Paper Provides Guidance to Help Protect Students...
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Two weeks ago CoSN released a new initiative entitled "Safeguarding the Wired Schoolhouse".
This is just one of the recent articles on this important new resource for schools.
Encourage your colleagues to use this great new reference site.
©2006 Consortium for School Networking. All rights reserved.
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