Sometimes groups should stick to what they're good at, and this release from the Privacy Foundation (which has done good work in other areas) is one of those times. How can Keating claim with a straight face that libraries do not carry "pornographic magazines" because it would violate the "privacy" of a large number of their patrons? (For one thing, anyone who's worried about their privacy could choose not to borrow that magazine.) The argument is just silly. I'm hardly an expert in this area but I do know a few things: 1. some libraries do carry sexually-explicit material; 2. such material also is commonly available via interlibrary loan; 3. libraries that don't carry such materials typically do it because it doesn't fit with collection development policies, because such materials are often stolen or destroyed, and sometimes (if truth be told) because of community pressure. In any case, the "privacy" rights of patrons have nothing to do with it. -Declan --- Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 16:06:28 -0600 Subject: Media Tipsheet: Courts Library Porn Filter Makes Sense From: skat_private (Stephen Keating) "The Supreme Court's ruling today that obligates public libraries to filter out Internet porn is, on balance, the right decision," said Stephen Keating, executive director of the Privacy Foundation, based at the University of Denver. "The issue of privacy cuts both ways in this debate. Library patrons should have relatively unfettered access to the Internet without worrying about authorities monitoring their clickstream." "However, public libraries do not typically carry pornographic magazines and videos in their collections. Why not? In part, because those materials would offend the modesty and privacy of a large number of patrons, including minors." "There is a slipperly slope argument to be made about whether library Internet filtering will be go too far and block legitimate content. That's a proper subject for local communities and their citizens to resolve." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ Like Politech? Make a donation here: http://www.politechbot.com/donate/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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