FCC WON'T PICK FILTERING TECHNOLOGY FOR SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES
FCC declined to specify what Internet security measures schools and libraries must use in order to continue to receive E- rate funding for Internet facilities through Universal Service Fund (USF). In decision released Thurs., Commission said local communities should select appropriate security measures, schools and libraries didn’t have to certify the effectiveness of measures and they wouldn’t be liable if measures failed.
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New FCC rules are to implement filtering requirements in 2001 appropriations bill, enacted as Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Commission said its goal was to “faithfully implement” CIPA without imposing undue burdens on schools and libraries. CIPA requires that filtering block obscenity and child pornography for adults and, for minors, material deemed harmful to them. Rules do allow filtering to be turned off for legitimate research or other lawful purposes.
School or library administrators must file certifications with FCC by Oct. 28 that filtering is either in place or planned in order to qualify for USF funding, although waivers are possible if filtering is impossible because of local bidding or funding situations. Filtering must cover Web access, e-mail, chat rooms and other forms of communications, as well as prevent hacking and other unlawful actions, and must protect minors’ privacy, FCC said.
In new rules, FCC: (1) Rejected requests that schools and libraries must certify effectiveness of their filtering, saying that wasn’t required by statute and could be burden. (2) Said it didn’t believe Congress intended to penalize entities that made good-faith and reasonable effort to conduct effective filtering, but failed. (3) Denied some requests that it amplify on statutory definitions of obscenity, child pornography and term “harmful to minors.”