Library computers can block porn—but Wicca? ACLU says no

I work on occasion from my local public library, a wonderful spot with huge glass windows overlooking an attached park. The views are nice, the quiet is terrific, and the free WiFi is indispensable. But the Internet connectivity comes with limits, in the form of a content filter that periodically prevents me from accessing research materials. Infuriating, yes. But illegal?

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has just filed a complaint (PDF) on behalf of a Salem, Missouri resident named Anaka Hunter, who contends that the Salem public library is unconstitutionally blocking her ability to access information on "minority" religious views. Federal and state law both govern libraries in Missouri, which are generally ordered to block access to obscene online material and child pornography. But the Salem library allegedly goes far beyond the mandate.

The library's "Netsweeper" content filtering system can block a huge variety of material, from porn to P2P to "occult" to "criminal skills," but it's up to the institution to choose which content categories will get filtered. Hunter claims that while looking into Native American and Wiccan religious practices, she was repeatedly halted by the filter's "occult" and "criminal skills" categories. When she complained, she says that the library staff wasn't especially helpful. According to the ACLU complaint:

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/library-computers-can-block-pornbut-wicca.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss