Internet Filtering Software

ALSO CALLED: Web Blocking Software, Filtering Software, Web Filtering Tools, Internet Nanny, Web Filtering Software, Internet Blocking Software, Blocking Software
DEFINITION: Censorware is a term used pejoratively to describe software that filters out undesirable Web sites or content. Examples include Cybersitter, N2H2, Netnanny, Surfwatch, and Wisechoice. This kind of software is designed to restrict an individual's ability to send or receive certain types of information, and for that reason its use (in public libraries, for example) is a contentious issue. Organizations  … 
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INTERNET FILTERING SOFTWARE DEFINITION (continued): …  such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) argue that the use of censorware conflicts with individual rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association, as mandated by the United States constitution. There are a number of problems with censorware, quite apart from the question of whether or not it infringes upon individual rights to access to information. Censorware blocks certain Web site categories and also uses language-based criteria to define undesirable content. Given the ambiguous nature of isolated parts of speech, words … 
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