The law provides that if public libraries fail to employ
adequate content blocking software on all internet terminals open
to the public, then they will be cut off from vital government
funding.
Ann Beeson, a member of the ACLU legal team commented:
"The government is choking off the free flow
of information on the internet to the library patrons who need it
the most.”
According to the ACLU, there are more than 16,000 public
libraries nationwide, and 95% of them currently provide internet
access for their patrons. The organisation argues that:
“mandatory library blocking would widen the
"digital divide" that already exists between the ‘haves’ -- those
who can afford internet access in the home -- and the ‘have-nots’--
low-income people, minorities, and those who live in rural areas
where reliable internet access is not always available.”
