The Need For Filters in Education
In 2000, The Children’s Internet Protection Act also known as CIPA requires all K-12 schools and libraries that use E-Rate (discounted prices for Internet) to filter the content what children can access on the Internet. CIPA also requires that they have Internet safety policies that protects the students. These policies are put into place to provide a safe environment for students and that they are protected from inappropriate content that needs to be blocked. “The protection measures must block or filter Internet access to pictures that are: (a) obscene; (b) child pornography; or (c) harmful to minors (for computers that are accessed by minors,” (CIPA). Schools also need to have some type of Internet safety policies that inform and protect the students from harm. The Neighborhood Children’s Internet Protection Act (NCIPA) requires schools to adopt some kind of Internet safety policy (Jaeger 8). The five types of Internet safety issues include: access by minors to inappropriate matter on the Internet, safety and security of minors when using e-mail, chat rooms, and other online communications; unauthorized access; unauthorized disclosure, use and dissemination or personal information; and measures to restrict access to harmful online materials (Jaeger 8). These all relate and are in place to protect the students because almost all users of computers in schools are minors, the most vulnerable group for Internet crimes and child pornography (Jaeger 11). Since most of the students are minors we need to make sure we protect them and that is why schools have to be CIPA compliant.
10 Facts about CIPA and Web Filtering
1. CIPA requires a web filter for schools that receive E-Rate funding.
2. CIPA requires that schools block visual depictions that are pornographic, obscene, or harmful to minors.
3. CIPA requires a policy for educating users, including educating minors about appropriate online behavior and interacting with other individuals on social networking sites; a policy for Internet Safety; and monitoring the activity of minors.
4. CIPA requires filtering on school-owned devices (even mobile devices); clarification on requirements for student-owned devices used on campuses is forthcoming from the FCC.
5. Allowing YouTube videos is not a violation of CIPA.
6. Allowing social networking is not a violation of CIPA.
7. Schools won’t lose E-Rate funding for adjusting filtering policies to unblock appropriate sites.
8. While teacher computers need to have a web filter installed, teachers and other adults don’t need to be filtered (i.e., the ability for adults to override the filter is not a CIPA violation).
9. Schools have the authority to make local decisions about filtering policies.
10. Even the FCC recognizes the necessity and benefits of teaching students to be responsible digital citizens.
These are all straight from the DOE: http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2011/04/straight-from-the-doe-facts-about-blocking-sites-in-schools/
10 Facts about CIPA and Web Filtering
1. CIPA requires a web filter for schools that receive E-Rate funding.
2. CIPA requires that schools block visual depictions that are pornographic, obscene, or harmful to minors.
3. CIPA requires a policy for educating users, including educating minors about appropriate online behavior and interacting with other individuals on social networking sites; a policy for Internet Safety; and monitoring the activity of minors.
4. CIPA requires filtering on school-owned devices (even mobile devices); clarification on requirements for student-owned devices used on campuses is forthcoming from the FCC.
5. Allowing YouTube videos is not a violation of CIPA.
6. Allowing social networking is not a violation of CIPA.
7. Schools won’t lose E-Rate funding for adjusting filtering policies to unblock appropriate sites.
8. While teacher computers need to have a web filter installed, teachers and other adults don’t need to be filtered (i.e., the ability for adults to override the filter is not a CIPA violation).
9. Schools have the authority to make local decisions about filtering policies.
10. Even the FCC recognizes the necessity and benefits of teaching students to be responsible digital citizens.
These are all straight from the DOE: http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2011/04/straight-from-the-doe-facts-about-blocking-sites-in-schools/