Advocacy groups are lobbying for the repeal of CIPA’s (The Children’s Internet Protection Act of 2000) web filtering requirements for public libraries that receive federal funds. An ACLU press release and a preliminary research report from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) argue that the use of such filters is ineffective in preventing access to harmful information, and conversely can actually block access to relevant, appropriate data and research tools for students.
Please see Mary Minow’s Q&A, The Children’s Internet Protection Act: The Recent District Court Decision in Context, for Librarians and Library Patrons for additional information.