Internet : Filtering

There is very little regulation of the information that is available on the Internet. Because the network is spread across the entire world, it is impossible for national governments to control what information is available in their countries. This may be a good thing for freedom of speech but it does mean that unsuitable and potentially dangerous material can be obtained. This includes :

• Pornography.
• Information that promotes racist or sexist views.
• Information about illegal activities such as taking drugs.

When you use the Internet yourself you have to be careful about what material you access and think carefully about whether information you read is likely to be accurate. In some institutions such as schools and workplaces steps are taken to reduce the likelihood of Internet users accessing inappropriate material. Filtering is the process of checking the content of requested web pages, email and other data to ensure it is appropriate before allowing it be viewed. There are many different ways a filtering system can work :

• A filter can look for particular words and block any data containing these words.
• A filter can keep a list of the addresses of allowed web sites and only let a user access these sites.
• A filter can keep a list of the addresses of disallowed web sites and block access to these sites.
• A filter can rely on appropriate age ranges specified by the designers of web sites to decide whether or not to block a page.
• A filter can also completely block particular types of services such as email or chat rooms.

Advantages and Problems

The main advantage of using a filtering system is that it can prevent Internet users accessing inappropriate material. However no system is perfect and filters can sometimes let inappropriate material through, especially if a knowledgeable user deliberately attempts to access it. Filters can also sometimes cause problems by preventing access to web sites that a user has a genuine reason to want to visit. For example a history student trying to find out about racist attitudes in Nazi Germany might find that access to useful web pages is blocked.

GCSE ICT Companion 04 - (C) P Meakin 2004