Internet Filtering

X-Stop Blocks Many Sites—Gay Ones Too-- that Aren’t Obscene  Christian Fundamentalists Pushing Hard for X-Stop Internet Censorship     By Al Kielwasser From MEDIAlert!

A federal judge in Virginia has agreed to hear a precedent-setting lawsuit that will challenge the public use of "blocking software" -- those much-hyped programs that are intended to restrict access to "obscene" and "adult" content on the internet. Judge Leonie Brinkema explained that, "The central question before this court is whether a public library may, without violating the First Amendment, enforce content-based restrictions on access to internet speech."  

The case was filed against Loudoun County Library in northern Virginia, which requires the use of "X-Stop" software on its computers. Alleging that this policy abridges First Amendment freedoms, the plaintiffs include the American Civil Liberties Union and San Francisco Examiner columnist Rob Morse. Morse reports that sections of the Examiner's web site have been blocked simply because he reports -- from time to time -- on lesbian and gay subjects.  

On their own behalf, the producers of "X-Stop" -- Log-On Data Corporation --claim that this product does not block access to gay or lesbian news sites, unless they are legally obscene. However, company promotional materials have boasted endorsements from some of the nation's most homophobic groups --including the American Family Association, Family Friendly Libraries, Focus on the Family, and the Family Research Council.  

In a press release issued last August, the American Family Association breathlessly announced "an alliance with Log-On Data." "We recommend the X- Stop filter because it has real muscle," gushed AFA president Donald Wildmon. Log-On Data touts that same "muscle" in ads that seem to suggest its software brawn will make the user's brain obsolete. Lending credence to complaints that such "filtering" programs are simply "censorware," X-stop is promoted with this chilling promise: "If it's BAD it's blocked, before the computer even knows it! INSTANTLY... no time wasted!"  

Attorney and censorware critic Jonathan Wallace argues that "X-Stop blocks numerous sites that cannot possibly be obscene... because they contain no explicit sexual material of any kind." According to Wallace, one version of X-Stop software indiscriminately blocked web sites for the "AIDS Memorial Quilt," "The National Journal of Sexual Orientation Law," and "Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting" (a progressive media watch group, which regularly challenges homophobic bias in the mainstream press).  

Along with web sites, access to Internet newsgroups seems unfairly limited. According to the Censorware Search Engine, "alt.politics.homosexual" and "alt.journalism.gay-press" have both been blocked by X-Stop. The software does NOT block social and political newsgroups with a HOMOPHOBIC bent, however -- such "alt.religion.christian-teen" and "alt.religion.christian.baptist." The latter group regularly includes rants about "Vile Hateful Homosexuals" (April 16).  
  

Responding to such concerns, X-Stop's CEO recently issued a press release in which he now claims that his product is "new and improved" -- and that the opposition's "portrayal of filtering software is outdated" (Business Wire, April 17). "X-Stop offers a product called the Librarian II to address the uncomfortable position of librarians across the country," Bradshaw announced.  
"Our software blocks the exact address of a site that is without-a-doubt pornographic, not 'possibly' pornographic because it contains certain words --the technology now is deadly accurate."  

"We understand the libraries are getting it from both sides, having to answer to parents and the American Library Association's SUPPOSED stand for First Amendment rights," Bradshaw explained. "So, we made the Librarian II with a very narrow focus -- it blocks only the really bad stuff."  

X-Stop's product might be "new," but not necessarily "improved." At least, Bradshaw's barely-concealed contempt for American libraries -- not to mention the U.S. Constitution -- is hardly encouraging.  

Critical comments can be sent to: All Members, Loudoun County Library Board, Loudoun County Library Administration Office, 102 Heritage Way, NE, Leesburg, VA 22075, tel. 703-777-0368, fax 703-771-5238; Michael Bradshaw, CEO, X-Stop Division, Log0On Data Corp., 4175 E. La Palma, Suite 270, Anaheim, CA 92807, tel. 714-577-4929, web  www.xstop.com.  

Also: Find out if the public library system in your community uses X-Stop or any other filtering software; ask officials to ensure that access to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender content is not blocked. Unfortunately, many software companies refuse to reveal exactly what is (or is not) being censored by their filters; the "Censorware Search Engine" -- a unique online resource, hacking the "stoplists" of several major filtering systems -- can be used to shed some light on which programs have been blocked what sites (cgi.pathfinder.com/netly/spoofcentral/censored/index.html).  

R e / S o u r c e s : The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) has published a critical "background paper on filters and rating systems for TV and the Internet;" copies are available both online (www.ncac.org). Another overview is provided in GLAAD's report Access Denied: The Impact of Internet Filtering Software on the Lesbian & Gay Community (www.glaad.org).  

Additional contacts:  
ACLU National Legal Department, 125 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004, tel. 212-549-2601, fax 212-549-2651;  

American Library Association, 50 E. Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611, tel. 312-280-4223 or 800-545-2433;  

Rob Morse, San Francisco Examiner, P.O. Box 7260, San Francisco, CA 94120, tel. 415-777-7831, e-mail sfexaminer@examiner.com,  

Web www.sfgate.com.