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Internet Filters At Center Of Lawsuit

Groups Say Filters Meant To Block Pornography Are Unconstitutional

If certain groups have their way, people will continue to be able to access pornography on computers in schools and libraries, including those in Jacksonville.

But some say that pornographers have found sophisticated ways of getting around Internet filters.

That is why 13-year-old Alicia Richardson is not allowed to surf the Internet alone. Her mother always supervises Alicia when she uses the computers at the downtown public library.

"A lot of kids, they want to be nosy, and if they can find out from their friends different Web sites and things to look at, they will do that," Alicia's mother Michelle King says.

King says that she is glad that the library has installed special software on its computers that weed out two different subject headings -- pornography and illegal activities.

Library director Ken Sivulich says that you have to be careful with filters and what they weed out.

"The best example to show people is the word breast," Sivulich says. "It would eliminate everything related to breast cancer if you used that kind of system."

But the Rev. Grant Aldridge says that filters cannot possibly work. Aldridge is challenging the library to do even more to protect young people who may be exposed to pornography just by walking past someone else's computer screen at the library.

"Anyone walking by can see this material, and once you have seen something like this, can you erase it from your memory?" Aldridge asks.

According to Eyewitness News' Tammie Fields, in addition to the current filtering process, the library's computers are also equipped with a special privacy screen, which means that you cannot see what is on the computer if you are standing to the left or right of the screen.

Library employees admit that the privacy screens are not always foolproof.

They say that there is not enough of them for all of the computers because they say that many times people remove the screens or they get broken.

The library board's technology committee will meet in the next few weeks to discuss how to block more pornographic material from public library computers.

Civil liberties groups and the American Library Association filed suit Tuesday in Philadelphia, Pa., saying that filters are unconstitutional.

For more information about Internet filters, you can log on to www.turnercom.com/if.html, www.familycow.com or www.afafilter.com.

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