Don't Filter Me

Last updated

Don't Filter Me is a project of the American Civil Liberties Union dedicated to end LGBT-related internet censorship that happens in public schools in the United States. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

History

State-funded schools in the United States use content-control software to restrict their students' access to pornographic websites, in accordance with the Children's Internet Protection Act of 2000. [4] The products most commonly used to do this filtering treat websites that offer information about LGBT topics and organizations as pornography, even though these websites do not contain sexually explicit content. [1] One such commonly filtered website is The Trevor Project, [5] a website devoted to suicide prevention among at-risk LGBT youths. The White House publicly praised the Trevor Project in 2011. [6] [7]

Other sites that are commonly blocked include GLAAD, [8] PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (also honored by the White House), [5] [9] [10] the Matthew Shepard Foundation, DignityUSA, [11] Day of Silence, [12] Campus Pride, [13] and the Human Rights Campaign (the largest LGBT civil rights advocacy group and political lobbying organization in the United States). [14]

A student attempting to access these sites is usually confronted by a page warning, "You have been denied access as it is characterized as LGBT. Your Internet usage is monitored and logged." [3]

Some American conservatives are supportive of blocks on these and similar websites since they consider them to be promoting the so-called "homosexual agenda". [5]

Filtering tools that prevent students from accessing websites related to positive LGBT organizations often permit access to sites that promote an anti-LGBT viewpoint, sites aimed at convincing LGBT people to change their sexual orientation, or sites that can be considered hate speech against LGBT people. Websites not generally blocked by this kind of filtering include the Family Research Council (an American conservative Christian group and lobbying organization) and the National Organization for Marriage (a political organization dedicated to working against the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States), [5] as well as Exodus International and People Can Change, both of which advocate conversion therapy to change a person's sexual orientation to heterosexual. [8] Neither the American Psychiatric Association or the American Psychological Association consider conversion therapy a legitimate medical practice or homosexuality to be a mental disorder. [15] [16]

Companies that filter content for schools often include anti-LGBT content in their "religion" category. [11]

Filtering software can also block content beyond the websites themselves. Students would, for example, be permitted to read Bowers v. Hardwick , the 1986 Supreme Court decision that upheld a Georgia law to criminalize sodomy, but prevented from reading Lawrence v. Texas , the 2003 Supreme Court ruling that asserted sodomy laws were unconstitutional. [8] The ACLU contends that this filtering is discriminatory and violates the First Amendment rights of students in public schools. [1]

In February 2011, the ACLU launched the Don't Filter Me project to combat this censorship and discrimination in viewpoint that was happening in state-funded schools. [1]

Response

Because of the Don't Filter Me project's efforts, some software providers who sell these filters implemented changes in their products. Companies such as Lightspeed Systems and Fortinet took action on their own and changed how their products categorize the websites in question. [12] A number of school districts took steps to unblock LGBT-themed content that is not sexually explicit. The Rowland Unified School District and Oroville Union High School District were among the first to take action because of the work of the Don't Filter Me project. [5]

Many other school districts followed suit and updated their filtering software to allow LGBT sites to be accessed from school computers. [17] Conservative Christian groups like Alliance Defending Freedom urged school districts not to comply with the ACLU's requests. [18]

In August 2011 the ACLU sued the Camdenton R-III School District of Camden County, Missouri, which had refused to change its filtering software, or the filtering behavior that that software created. This led a federal judge to issue a preliminary injunction to the district, ordering it to stop using software produced by the company URL Blacklist that blocks access to sites discussing LGBT issues. In her decision, Judge Nanette Kay Laughrey wrote "URL Blacklist systematically allows access to websites expressing a negative viewpoint toward LGBT individuals by categorizing them as 'religion', but filters out positive viewpoints toward LGBT issues by categorizing them as 'sexuality'." [11] The school district later settled, and agreed to stop blocking the sites in question, to be monitored for 18 months, and to pay $125,000 in fines and court costs. [19] [20]

Related Research Articles

An Internet filter is software that restricts or controls the content an Internet user is capable to access, especially when utilized to restrict material delivered over the Internet via the Web, Email, or other means. Content-control software determines what content will be available or be blocked.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gay–straight alliance</span> Student groups supporting LGBT youth

A gay–straight alliance, gender-sexuality alliance (GSA) or queer–straight alliance (QSA) is a student-led or community-based organization, found in middle schools, high schools, colleges, and universities. These are primarily in the United States and Canada. Gay–straight alliance is intended to provide a safe and supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and all LGBTQ+ individuals, children, teenagers, and youth as well as their cisgender heterosexual allies. The first GSAs were established in the 1980s. Scientific studies show that GSAs have positive academic, health, and social impacts on schoolchildren of a minority sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Numerous judicial decisions in United States federal and state court jurisdictions have upheld the establishment of GSAs in schools, and the right to use that name for them.

Pop-up ads or pop-ups are forms of online advertising on the World Wide Web. A pop-up is a graphical user interface (GUI) display area, usually a small window, that suddenly appears in the foreground of the visual interface. The pop-up window containing an advertisement is usually generated by JavaScript that uses cross-site scripting (XSS), sometimes with a secondary payload that uses Adobe Flash. They can also be generated by other vulnerabilities/security holes in browser security.

Peacefire is a U.S.-based website, with a registered address in Bellevue, Washington, dedicated to "preserving First Amendment rights for Internet users, particularly those younger than 18". It was founded in August 1996 by Bennett Haselton, who still runs it. The site's motto is, "You'll understand when you're younger."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Children's Internet Protection Act</span> United States federal law

The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) is one of a number of bills that the United States Congress proposed to limit children's exposure to pornography and explicit content online.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scunthorpe problem</span> Problem caused by profanity filters on the Internet

The Scunthorpe problem is the unintentional blocking of online content by a spam filter or search engine because their text contains a string of letters that appear to have an obscene or otherwise unacceptable meaning. Names, abbreviations, and technical terms are most often cited as being affected by the issue.

NoScript is a free and open-source extension for Firefox- and Chromium-based web browsers, written and maintained by Giorgio Maone, a software developer and member of the Mozilla Security Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Trevor Project</span> American LGBTQ support service

The Trevor Project is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1998. Focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, they offer a toll-free telephone number where confidential assistance is provided by trained counselors. The stated goals of the project are to provide crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for youth, as well as to offer guidance and resources to parents and educators in order to foster safe, accepting, and inclusive environments for all youth, at home, schools and colleges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internet censorship</span> Legal control of the internet

Internet censorship is the legal control or suppression of what can be accessed, published, or viewed on the Internet. Censorship is most often applied to specific internet domains but exceptionally may extend to all Internet resources located outside the jurisdiction of the censoring state. Internet censorship may also put restrictions on what information can be made internet accessible. Organizations providing internet access – such as schools and libraries – may choose to preclude access to material that they consider undesirable, offensive, age-inappropriate or even illegal, and regard this as ethical behavior rather than censorship. Individuals and organizations may engage in self-censorship of material they publish, for moral, religious, or business reasons, to conform to societal norms, political views, due to intimidation, or out of fear of legal or other consequences.

In the United States, internet censorship is the suppression of information published or viewed on the Internet in the United States. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects freedom of speech and expression against federal, state, and local government censorship.

Internet censorship in the United Kingdom is conducted under a variety of laws, judicial processes, administrative regulations and voluntary arrangements. It is achieved by blocking access to sites as well as the use of laws that criminalise publication or possession of certain types of material. These include English defamation law, the Copyright law of the United Kingdom, regulations against incitement to terrorism and child pornography.

United States v. American Library Association, 539 U.S. 194 (2003), was a decision in which the United States Supreme Court ruled that the United States Congress has the authority to require public schools and libraries receiving E-Rate discounts to install web filtering software as a condition of receiving federal funding. In a plurality opinion, the Supreme Court ruled that public school and library usage of Internet filtering software does not violate their patrons' First Amendment free speech rights and that the Children's Internet Protection Act is not unconstitutional.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in West Virginia</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of West Virginia face legal challenges not faced by non-LGBT persons. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1976, and same-sex marriage has been recognized since October 2014. West Virginia statutes do not address discrimination on account of sexual orientation or gender identity; however, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBT people is illegal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Florida</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Florida have federal protections, but many face legal difficulties on the state level that are not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity became legal in the state after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Lawrence v. Texas on June 26, 2003, although the state legislature has not repealed its sodomy law. Same-sex marriage has been legal in the state since January 6, 2015. Discrimination on account of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations is outlawed following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County. In addition, several cities and counties, comprising about 55 percent of Florida's population, have enacted anti-discrimination ordinances. These include Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee and West Palm Beach, among others. Conversion therapy is also banned in a number of cities in the state, mainly in Palm Beach County and the Miami metropolitan area. In September 2023, Lake Worth Beach, Florida became an official "LGBT sanctuary city" to protect and defend LGBT rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Washington (state)</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in the U.S. state of Washington have evolved significantly since the late 20th century. Same-sex sexual activity was legalized in 1976. LGBT people are fully protected from discrimination in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations; the state enacting comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation regarding sexual orientation and gender identity in 2006. Same-sex marriage has been legal since 2012, and same-sex couples are allowed to adopt. Conversion therapy on minors has also been illegal since 2018.

This list of Internet censorship and surveillance by country provides information on the types and levels of Internet censorship and surveillance that is occurring in countries around the world.

Thomas Conrad Hoefling is an American activist and politician, who was the founder and national chairman of America's Party. Hoefling was the party's 2012 and 2016 presidential nominee, after seeking the nomination of the Constitution and American Independent parties. Currently a member of the Republican Party, Hoefling has served as political director for Alan Keyes' political group America's Revival and as a representative for the American Conservative Coalition.

<i>Florence v. Shurtleff</i>

Florence v. Shurtleff, Civil No. 2:05CV000485, was a case in which the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah issued an order stating that individuals could not be prosecuted for posting adult content that was constitutionally protected on general access websites, nor could they be civilly liable for failing to prevent access to adult content, so long as the material is identifiable by filtering software. The order was the result of a 2005 lawsuit, The King's English v. Shurtleff, brought by Utah bookstores, artists, Internet Service Providers and the other organizations challenging the constitutionality of certain portions of a Utah law intended to protect minors from adult content.

The precise number of websites blocked in the United Kingdom is unknown. Blocking techniques vary from one Internet service provider (ISP) to another with some sites or specific URLs blocked by some ISPs and not others. Websites and services are blocked using a combination of data feeds from private content-control technology companies, government agencies, NGOs, court orders in conjunction with the service administrators who may or may not have the power to unblock, additionally block, appeal or recategorise blocked content.

Forcepoint is an American multinational corporation software company headquartered in Austin, Texas, that develops computer security software and data protection, cloud access security broker, firewall and cross-domain solutions.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Don't Filter Me: Web Content Filtering in Schools". aclu.org. American Civil Liberties Union. Archived from the original on 2014-12-15. Retrieved 2014-12-14.
  2. ↑ "Don't Filter MeFinal Report" (PDF). American Civil Liberties Union . Retrieved 2014-12-14.
  3. 1 2 Lasar, Matthew (2011-03-29). ""Don't filter me": ACLU fights schools that block LGBT websites". Ars Technica . Retrieved 2014-12-14.
  4. ↑ "Children's Internet Protection Act". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. 2014-07-16. Retrieved 2014-12-14.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "ACLU's 'Don't Filter Me' campaign makes sense". Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles. 2011-09-08. Retrieved 2014-12-14.
  6. ↑ Ring, Trudy (2011-08-25). "Trevor Project Honored at White House". The Advocate.
  7. ↑ "The Trevor Project". whitehouse.gov. 2011-08-25. Retrieved 2014-12-14.
  8. 1 2 3 Winerip, Michael (2012-03-26). "School District Told to Replace Web Filter Blocking Pro-Gay Sites". The New York Times . New York City. Retrieved 2014-12-14.
  9. ↑ Ring, Trudy (2011-08-31). "White House Honors GLSEN". The Advocate.
  10. ↑ "Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network". whitehouse.gov. 2011-08-31. Retrieved 2014-12-14.
  11. 1 2 3 Harris, Joe (2012-02-21). "Judge Slaps School for Blocking Gay Websites". Courthouse News Service.
  12. 1 2 Zwang, Jenna (2011-06-16). "Companies respond to ACLU's 'Don't Filter Me' campaign". eSchool News. Retrieved 2014-12-14.
  13. ↑ Berger, Judson (2011-08-16). "ACLU Sues Missouri School System for Censoring Gay Advocacy Websites". Fox News Channel . Retrieved 2014-12-14.
  14. ↑ Fenston, Jacob (2011-09-26). "ACLU Targets Camdenton Over LGBT Sites". KBIA .
  15. ↑ Yoshino, Kenji (2011-11-02). "Gay Conversion". Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights . Random House. ISBN   978-0375760211. Today, conversion therapy grows scarce. The major mental health associations, such as the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association, have withdrawn their support for the practice.
  16. ↑ Yoshino, Kenji (2011-11-02). "Gay Conversion". Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights . Random House. ISBN   9780375760211. The efforts of these activists, along with their allies within the psychiatric establishment, led to the deletion of homosexuality from the DSM on December 15, 1973.
  17. ↑ Quillen, Ian (2011-10-17). "ACLU Puts Pressure on Districts to Ease Internet Filtering". Education Week . Retrieved 2014-12-14.
  18. ↑ Wetzstein, Cheryl (2011-08-29). "ACLU battles schools over gay websites". The Washington Times . Washington, DC. Retrieved 2014-12-14.
  19. ↑ KRMS News (2012-03-29). "ACLU: "Surprised" Camdenton Schools Agreed to Settle". KRMS . Retrieved 2014-12-14.
  20. ↑ Associated Press (2012-03-29). "Camdenton school district agrees to settlement with ACLU". KBIA . Retrieved 2014-12-14.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.