You asked if it is possible to block pornography from television sets and computers.

SUMMARY

Pornography and other objectionable material can be blocked from television sets and computers. In 1998, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) adopted rules, pursuant to the 1996 Telecommunications Act, requiring all television sets manufactured after January 1, 2000 with screens 13 inches or larger to be equipped with blocking technology called the "V-chip. "

Internet blocking computer software is available through client-based filters, server-based filters, and network-based filters. Filtering mechanisms differ in how they block material such as pornography and violent or offensive media. Congress passed legislation to regulate Internet pornography in 1998 and 2001. These statutes have been challenged on First Amendment grounds and are currently under review by the federal courts.

TELEVISION AND THE V-CHIP

Section 551 of the 1996 Telecommunications Act implemented the V-chip blocking technology. The V-chip has been installed in television sets manufactured after January 1, 2000 and has been made available through set-top boxes that can be used with older televisions. The V-chip allows parents to choose the programs they want to block through an encoded rating system. This rating system is age and content-based, and is similar to the rating system used by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Under the rating system or "TV Parental Guidelines," television programs fall into one of six age-based categories-TV-Y, TV-Y7, TV-G, TV-PG, TV-14, or TV-M. Content-based ratings for violence, sex, and potentially offensive language include FV for fantasy violence in the TV-Y7 category; V for violence, S for sexual situations, L for vulgar language, and D for suggestive dialogue in the TV-PG, TV-14, and TV-MA categories. In most cases, these guidelines are assigned to programs by the broadcast and cable networks. The rating icon is displayed at the beginning of each program in the upper left-hand corner of the screen for 15 seconds.

INTERNET BLOCKING

Internet pornography can be blocked through a variety of filtering mechanisms. These include client-based filters, server-based filters, and network-based filters. Additionally, filtering mechanisms differ in how they block access to pornography and other objectionable material.

Client-based filters may be installed on individual computers. Such filters allow the user to determine what type of material is blocked. These filters may also monitor Internet use. A denial of access may be overridden with a password. Most filtering software packages cost between $ 40-80 and are usually purchased on a subscription basis because the software has to be updated periodically to keep up with the addition of new web sites. A list of various client-based filters and parental controls is available at: http: //emerald. jvlnet. com/parent. htm.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) use server-based filters to block access to sources identified by uniform resource locators (URLs). The ISP selects which URLs to block and they are placed on a list that is periodically updated. Network-based filtering systems may also use URLs to identify blocked sites.

They are generally marketed to institutions, such as public libraries, that provide Internet access through multiple terminals. Both server and network-based filters allow individual users to customize the pre-selected URL lists.

In addition to using URLs, filtering programs may also use human review of web pages, key words, or "context sensitive" key words to block Internet access. Some companies employ people to look at web pages and classify them into different categories that a parent may choose to block. Selected key words limit access to sites containing potentially inappropriate words such as "sex" or "breast. " These filters may also apply to e-mail, chat rooms, and instant messages. "Context sensitive" software analyzes the language around key words to avoid blocking web sites that disseminate information about such things as "breast cancer" or "chicken breast recipes. "

All filtering programs function in a rather simple way. When an individual user requests access to a certain web site or page, either by entering a domain name, web address, or by clicking on a link, the filtering software checks that application against a list containing up to thousands of URLs, keywords or phrases to make sure that the web site contains appropriate material.

Criticisms of Internet Filtering Technology

Internet filtering technology has been criticized for being over-and under-inclusive, thus raising First Amendment concerns. Over-inclusive filters may block legitimate sites with information about sex or sexual health, thus infringing upon protected speech. It seems that the more effective a filter is at blocking pornographic web sites, the more it will necessarily over block non-sexually explicit speech. Alternatively, under-inclusive filters fail to block sites with objectionable material because their scope is too narrow. These filters may also be more vulnerable to attempts to disable them

General information on Internet filtering software is available at http: //www. getnetwise. org. OLR report 99-R-1069 also discusses what individuals can do to block pornographic messages on the Internet.

DO: ts