NEWS RELEASE from MORALITY IN MEDIA, Inc.
Washington, DC (June 15, 2011)–In response to reports from citizens around the country finding hardcore pornography on public library computers, The Coalition for the War on Illegal Pornography today is launching a Safe Library Project.
“Recent news that the New York Public Library system allows patrons, even some children, to access computer pornography has prompted a nationwide discussion of the appropriateness of taxpayer-funded libraries providing pornography to children and adults,” said Patrick A. Trueman, director of the War on Illegal Pornography and president of Morality in Media.
“New York is not alone, according to many of our coalition members, ” Trueman said. “Numerous public libraries across America have either no policy or ineffective policies for blocking pornography,” he said. The Safe Library Project is urging that all concerned citizens familiarize themselves with federal and state laws on filtering pornography and also do a library check at their community library. Directions can be found on the new website for the project, www.safelibraryproject.com. Trueman said it appears that some libraries are violating the federal Children’s Internet Protection Act which requires blocking of pornography in exchange for federal funding. He said Congress and the Federal Communications Commission should more closely scrutinize library policies.
“Despite federal, state, and local laws that either require or encourage filtering of pornography from public libraries, the American Library Association seems to encourage libraries to block as little as possible,” Trueman noted. ALA has an entire page on its website panning filtering software and yet software today is very good,” Trueman noted.
Author: Morality in Media 06/15/2011
