To Filter or Not: The Pros and Cons of Using Parental Control Software

Besides setting guidelines for use of the Internet, there is one more action for families to consider in
their quest for child safety on the Internet- installing parental control or filtering software to limit
exposure to adult materials which may be considered pornographic or harmful to children. The
software can be installed on a personal home computer, or some Internet service providers offer
filtering as an option.

Parental control software, such as CyberPatrol, Net Nanny, and GuardiaNet, is designed to restrict
Internet access in several ways. First, the software will block access to web sites with content
deemed inappropriate for children by the software company. Most software will also filter and
restrict access to web pages based on key words such as "sex." Each company's software works from
a unique and highly guarded database of blocked sites and key words which are based on company
selected criteria of what constitutes inappropriate materials. General categories for blocking
websites often include text and/or photos of an adult sexual nature, drugs and drug culture, violence
and hate, racism and intolerance, gambling, tobacco, alcohol, and cruelty to animals. Adult users can
select some or all of the categories to activate blocking of sites on those topics.

Most parental control software programs include other types of options allowing users to customize
Internet access to fit family needs and circumstances. For example, the software may allow parents
to set the time of day or number of hours per week the Internet will be available to children. Adults
can also expand or subtract the list of blocked sites. Some programs allow parents to create different
levels of Internet access based on the varying ages of children in the family. Some programs report
the addresses of websites children have visited and restrict the sending of personal information such
as name, address, and telephone number, known as "outgoing filtering." With yet other programs,
local applications, such as games, can also be restricted. Settings are password protected.

There are various ways in which software can be purchased, and it is important to remember that
new sites with the potential for inappropriate material are being added to the Internet each day.
Some parental control programs can be obtained with a single purchase ranging from forty to fifty
dollars and updating of blocked sites is included in the initial fee. Others are purchased with an
annual subscription of around fifty dollars for the first year and approximately thirty dollars for the
renewal. Parental control software purchased on a subscription basis includes updating of blocked
sites with a frequency ranging from daily to monthly. Trial versions of parental control software can
be downloaded (brought through the telephone line to your computer's hard drive) from the
companies' web sites on the Internet and used for a short period of time to allow families to review
features and see which will fit their needs.

Installing parental control software is a personal, family decision, and there are several important
points to understand. It is critical to recognize that filtering software cannot guarantee that children
or other family members will never see inappropriate material on the Internet. While blocking
pornography and explicit adult sexual material, the software may also block access to useful
information related to personal health issues and other topics. NO program is one hundred percent
effective, and new sites are added to the Internet daily. Most of all, it is essential to realize that
parental control software is not a substitute for active parent interaction with your children and
supervision of their Internet use.

There is intense debate across the country relating to the use of filtering software programs in
libraries and schools. One side feels children should not be exposed to pornography and other adult
material found on the Internet and support filtering. For example, the website, Filtering Facts
(http://www.filteringfacts.org) promotes use of filtering software in libraries. Those on the other
side of the debate, including the American Library Association and its Office of Intellectual Freedom,
want to protect the First Amendment rights of children on the Internet. Legislation has been
introduced at the national level and in many state legislatures to require the use of filtering software
to block access to information or sites on the Internet deemed inappropriate for minors.

If you are interested in parental control software and the issues surrounding it, visit the following
sites or enter the terms "filtering software" or "parental control software" into your favorite search
engine:

FamilyGuide Book...Because It's a Jungle Out There
www.familyguidebook.com/charts.html
Parry Aftab, parent, lawyer, author, and Executive Director of CyberAngels, has one of the largest
online safety sites on the Internet. It includes a "Summary of Features of Filtering Software" chart
with software costs.

GetNetWise
www.getnetwise.org
A resource "to help kids have safe, educational, and entertaining online experiences," the site has a
lengthy list of tools for filtering explicit content, to monitor a minor's access, or limit time online.
Enter the type of content you are concerned with (i.e. sex, hate, violence, etc.), the type of
technology (i.e., www, email, FTP), and the type of operating system of your computer, and a
possible list of matching parental control software products will be listed with links
http://www.ala.org/aasl/parents/filter



















Pros & Cons of Internet Filtering in Schools
The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) passed in 1999, requires schools qualifying for
federal E-rate funding to use filtering technology to block access to materials that are
"obscene, child pornography, or harmful to minors". Like every coin has two sides of it,
Internet filters too come with advantages & disadvantages. On one hand they provide secure
surfing and on the other hand they, at times, block other website which do not fall in that
category. Following are some of the main Pros and Cons of implementing internet filters in a
school.


Safe And Secure Surfing
Internet filters in a school assure a safe and secure web surfing. When the school authorities
implement a strict internet policy, it prevent students from accessing content which is
inappropriate for that age group. Blocking such content give teachers the confidence that
their students can use internet without encountering any harmful content.


Internet Filters Help Schools Get E-Rated Funding
The schools that have implemented internet filters, i.e. the schools qualify as e-rated schools
get discounted communication technologies from federal authorities. All CIPA regulated
schools must adopt Internet filter policies to monitor minors internet activities. The schools
who fail to do so, will not receive and e-Rate assistance.


Accessing Other Websites is Affected As Well
In a study it was found that Internet filtering software implement in schools also blocked
many other websites which did not contain any harmful or inappropriate content. The same
study found that many websites related to state curriculum were also blocked by these
internet filters. This strict over-blocking limit Internet access for students and teachers as
well.


Biased blocking
All of these internet filters are created by private companies and not CIPA. So it is the private
companies who decide what content is to be blocked and what should be allowed. Instead it
should be the CIPA to decide what content is appropriate for students and what is not. This
leads to sites being blocked or filtered that do not fall under the criteria set by CIPA.
http://www.simplewallsoftware.com/tips/pros-cons-of-internet-filtering-in-schools

Why Do We Need Internet Filters in Schools?
In this tech savvy world it is very important for schools to prevent students from accessing any
content or website that can get students in peer-to-peer file sharing, downloading illegal music,
watching / reading adult content, or any other inappropriate audio, video, or text-based content. It
becomes one of the most important issue for school authorities to address. Internet filtering content
filtering is the solution for schools authorities to limit and monitor student's internet activity.
Implementing these hardware or software filters assure parents that their children in the school are
safe from any kind of inappropriate web surfing. However, school authorities need to understand that
content filters do not replace the necessity of physically monitoring student's internet activity. They
should, in fact, minutely monitor each and every student's web activity.


Why We Need Internet Filters in Schools


1. It is a sigh of relief for parents
A school which qualifies as an e-rated schools gives an assurance to all parents that their children are
protected from all of the evils of the world. When they use internet in school, parents know that
surfing is safe and it will prevent kids from viewing any inappropriate content.


2. Filtering is a part of life
Like we discard any rotten vegetables & fruits from the basket, filtering content that we believe is not
appropriate for students is a part of life. We would never want our children to fall prey to predators on
the internet. Safe browsing is the utmost concern and Internet filters does it best.


3. There is more of bad content than good content
The harsh fact is that every day more bad websites are created than the blocking software can keep up
with. The vendors do provide regular updates, but still it gets difficult to cope up with these
inappropriate websites. We have to constantly update our internet filters to cope up with the
increasing numbers of these bad websites.


4. Internet filters prevent porn
The online porn marketers are intelligent than those innocent web surfers. At times they use simplest
typos to divert innocent searchers to their pornographic website. So to make sure that when students
research, the results include more relevant content and less inappropriate material.


5. Implementing Internet Filters is a Legal necessity
Internet filters help schools to keep away from legal liabilities. The schools which do not have any
internet filtering policy implemented are open to lawsuits if they fail to provide some type of filtering.

http://www.simplewallsoftware.com/tips/why-do-we-need-internet-filters-in-schools/


















Benefits of Internet Filtering in Schools
Implementing internet filters in schools can protect students from indulging in any online fraudulent
activity. According to Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) passed in 1999, requires schools
qualifying for federal E-rate funding to use filtering technology to block access to materials that are
"obscene, child pornography, or harmful to minors." The biggest advantage of implementing internet
filters in schools is that it prevents students from accessing harmful or inappropriate Web content.
Gone are the days when students were taken on trips and fields for research work. Today it is all
internet based research that help students to finish their projects and assignments. At this point,
schools need to make sure that when students browse internet or use it for any assignment or project,
their browsing is safe. It is important that students should not be navigated away to a malicious or
pornographic website when they click on certain links.

In this tech savvy world it is very important for schools to prevent students from peer-to-peer file
sharing, illegal music downloads, adult content, or any other inappropriate audio, video, or text-based
content. For this, Internet filtering is the solution. Implementing hardware or software filters is only
just one part of it. Another important thing is that internet & content filters do not replace the
necessity of physical monitoring. The school authorities should minutely monitor each and every
student's internet activity.

Blocking content immediately can result in an outcry. The school staff may find it difficult to provide
necessary input and material required by students to complete a project or an assignment. Because
everything is blocked, the teaching staff too can not access that content on the internet. In this case a
multilevel protection or multilayer internet policy comes to the rescue. Herein the policy provides
strict protection policies for students and allow additional content for staff use. These multilayer
internet filters provide protection for everyone involved. These internet filters help school authorities
to keep their entire school safe from the potential allegations of anyone accessing questionable
content.

http://www.simplewallsoftware.com/tips/benefits-of-internet-filtering-in-schools/












INTERNET FILTERING


PROS CONS
1. Internet filter companies usually have a
person review the blocked sites so they can
avoid accidental blockings. Also, when made
aware of sites that shouldn't have been
blocked, the company can remove the site
from it's blacklist.
1. Filtering software not only blocks sites that are
useful (such as chicken breast recipes and breast
cancer information) because of the key word
scanning, but also may deliberately block sites the
sites the filtering company does not agree with (such
as a site promoting the medicinal uses of marijuana.)
2. There really are online "predators"
searching for ways to exploit children as well
as many hard-core porn sites that most people
agree they would not want their children
exposed to.
2. New sites arrive everyday and some of them are
sites whose name was once considered "safe" (but
was taken over by a pornography site) hence the
filters may not be current enough to block them.
3. While nothing is perfect, and using a filter
is not advocating leaving children alone on the
internet, these filters do help a lot in the effort
to keep children to appropriate sights.
3. Parents and schools may think that they have
resolved themselves of responsibility by having these
filters and leave children on their own. The best
technique would be for teachers/parents to do pre-
searches to find high quality sites and send children to
those sights.
4. Filtering websites for children is not
censorship because it is not prohibiting the
material from being created or posted, it is just
keeping it out of the hands of children.
4. Filtering is censorship because it interferes with the
right to free speech and the right to information
5. It is difficult, if not impossible to get a list
of blocked sites before purchasing and
installing the program, making
predeterminations of appropriateness for your
situation impossible.
5. You can get a free trial period and try to link to
various sites to see if a particular program is right for
you.

http://www2.mcdaniel.edu/slm/student/carterm/filtering.htm





Internet filtering in schools prevents students from accessing harmful or
inappropriate Web content. But the filtering programs can sometimes leave
harmful content unfiltered, but it can also block educationally relevant websites
from students and teachers. Federal law requires some schools and libraries to
filter and monitor Internet access, though the that law has been challenged in
court.
Safety
The intent of Internet filtering in school is to provide a safe environment for
students. Internet blocking in schools is usually thorough enough that it blocks
most inappropriate content. This gives teachers confidence that students can use
the Internet without encountering harmful content. Teachers can also do online
research with the class and be confident that the research won't turn up
inappropriate images.
Funding
The federal E-rate program provides discounted communication technologies to
eligible schools and libraries. The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA),
enacted in 2001, stipulates that schools and libraries must block or filter Internet
images that may be harmful to minors. Schools regulated by CIPA must also
adopt policies to monitor minors' activities online. Schools that do not follow
these requirements cannot receive e-Rate assistance.
Access
A 2003 study by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Online Policy Group
found that even schools that use minimal Internet blocking and filtering software
block tens of thousands of websites without harmful content. The same study
found that many websites related to state curriculum were also blocked. This
over-blocking limits Internet access for students and teachers
Bias
CIPA outlines standards of what images it considers harmful to students, but
Internet filtering software is not regulated by CIPA. The filtering software that
many schools use is created by private companies that decide what kinds of
content should be filtered. This leads to sites being blocked or filtered that do
not fall under the criteria set by CIPA.
Litigation
Federally required Internet filtering has spawned litigation questioning the
constitutionality of the CIPA requirements, including a lawsuit brought against
the United States government by the Multnomah County Public Library in
Oregon. A District Court found CIPA to violate the First Amendment, but that
decision was overturned by the Supreme Court.

http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/website/index.pl?read=125






















pros and Cons of Content Filtering in Schools
Posted on February 20, 2012by kelseyparent
I think most of us can think back to a time in elementary school or high school when you
were trying to enter a site and access was restricted. In my school, sites like Facebook and
YouTube were blocked so that students supposedly wouldnt go on them during class
hours. Many schools use content blocking and for me, there are both pros and cons to this.
In the pro category there is what I mentioned before. If students are restricted from entering
sites such as Facebook at school they are more likely to stay on task when they are using
computers during school hours. Students are also restricted from entering sites with
inappropriate content and profanity which goes into the pro argument for obvious reasons.
For me the con category slightly outweighs the pro category in many circumstances. From
my experience, I found that I would often be blocked from sites that were actually
educational. In high school I would be doing research only to be restricted from going into a
site from the schools filtering settings which was very frustrating. I think the element of
trust is very important in the relationship between teachers and their students and that
content filtering is hindering this relationship. Another example is that YouTube was often
blocked even if the video I wanted to watch was educational. The web is a great tool for
students to explore and learn from and I dont think they should be restricted from what is
out there. Most students today have handheld devices that they receive internet on anyway,
so if they wanted to look up something inappropriate it is becoming very hard for teachers to
stop them.
What are your thoughts? Can you think of any pros or cons of content filtering in schools
that I have missed? As a preservice teacher I am interested to hear others opinions on the
matter!
http://kelseyparent.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/pros-and-cons-of-content-
filtering-in-schools/