Internet Filtering Software

Internet Sites

Review and Analysis Articles

Bastian, Jeanette Allis, "Filtering the Internet in American Public Libraries: Sliding Down the Slippery Slope," First Monday 1997. Detailed review and analysis of the issues involved in filtering debate.

Bobicki, Jeff, "Internet Filtering -- a White Paper," 1999. General overview of how the Internet is set up and how filters work (and don't work).

Information Filtering Resources List compiled by Doug Oard of "all known Internet information filtering resources." Last revised 6/29/98.

Charlie Viles' Web Pages on Filtering Software. Compiled for Internet Institute, October 98.

Research Projects

Research by the Electrical Engineering Dept. and and the College of Library and Information Science Digital Library Project. Last revised 1/28/98.

Schneider, Karen G., "Learning from the Internet Filter Assessment Project." Sept. 13, 1997. Findings from a filter evaluation project carried out between April - Sept. 1997 by a volunteer group of librarians.

Rating Systems

Recreational Software Advisory Council (RSAC) 1998. Content Labeling System. Rates sites on violence, sex, nudity, and language on scale of 0 to 4.

Weinberg, Jonathan, "Rating the Net," 1997. Written by a lawyer, an Associate Professor at Wayne State, discusses Internet filtering, with an emphasis on methods for rating the Internet, and the implications of rating systems and filtering software for information access. Earlier version presented at the Telecommunications Policy Research conference.

Monroe, Kathryn, "Filtering Utilities". PC Magazine Online. 1997. Describes how filters work and reviews several examples. 1997.

Associate Policy Statements

ALA's Policy Statements on Filtering and suggested alternatives.

Filtering Facts. Created by a librarian with express goal of persuading ALA to rescind its resolution opposing filtering. Extensive links to news stories and links to other filtering sites, including those opposed to filtering. Recommends eight filtering systems. no date.

Examples of Filtering Software

Family Connect Tulsa, OK.

Bess Internet Filtering System.

I-Gear; Content Management software from URLabs.

GuardiaNet.

Cyber Patrol

Smart Zone. from EdView. A category based system for schools and libraries.

SurfWatch. Interesting feature. Search engine can only be removed by special request. Pearl Software produces Cyber Snoop

Web Sense from Net Partners, San Diego, CA.

X-Stop.

Examples of Pages that have been Filtered

Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Labeling report on software filtering called Access Denied.

Joe's Home on the WWW


Revised 2/20/99. Some good suggestions from Eleanor Smith.
For comments or additions to site, please contact Evelyn Daniel