A three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia May 31 overturned those portions of the Children's Internet Protection Act that require libraries receiving certain kinds of federal technology funding to restrict access…
A three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia May 31 overturned those portions of the Children's Internet Protection Act that require libraries receiving certain kinds of federal technology funding to restrict access to some forms of Internet content. The court ruled that those portions of the law amounted to an impermissible restriction on freedom of speech. The portions of the law that apply to schools were not subject to the lawsuit brought by the American Libraries Association and the American Civil Liberties Union and, for the time being, remain intact.
The portion of the law that requires libraries to adopt Internet safety policies that address specific issues relating to protecting children online was not challenged in the lawsuit. Consequently, the Schools and Libraries Division June 6 said that libraries that receive E-rate discounts for Internet access or internal connections will still be expected to comply with that requirement.
