ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline
Volume 15, Number 53
May 12, 2006

In This Issue: Bill would extend reach of CIPA by blocking access to collaborative networking sites

This week Reps. Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Kirk (R-IL) introduced legislation that, if passed, would expand the law requiring libraries to block certain Internet content or lose federal funding. 

Action Needed: Please call your Member of Congress today and ask him or her to oppose DOPA (H.R. 5319, Deleting Online Predators Act). The proposed law is unnecessary and blocks access to a broad array of useful web resources and applications.

Background: 
DOPA (H.R. 5319, Deleting Online Predators Act) would require schools and libraries to block access to a broad selection of web content including "commercial Web sites that let users create Web pages or profiles or offer communication with other users via forums, chat rooms, e-mail or instant messaging." If passed, the bill would block users from accessing sites like MySpace from schools or libraries, and also blocks a wide array of other content and technologies such as instant messaging, online email, wikis and blogs. 

Tell your Members of Congress:

Schools and libraries are required under CIPA to block obscene or offensive internet content. DOPA is not necessary. 

DOPA is much too broad. The bill proposes to block access to beneficial collaborative web applications and resources.

Education is the best way to protect children from online predators. Blocking websites does not protect children- teaching them to use the Internet responsibly and safely does. 


Please call you Members of Congress today! Capitol Switchboard number is 202-224-3121.

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ALA Washington Office, 1615 New Hampshire Ave., N.W., First Floor, Washington, D.C. 20009-2520; phone: 202.628.8410 or 800.941.8478 toll-free; fax: 202.628.8419; Web site: http://www.ala.org/washoff.  Executive Director: Emily Sheketoff. Office of Government Relations: Lynne Bradley, Director; Don Essex, Melanie Anderson, Erin Haggerty, Patrice McDermott and Miriam Nisbet. Office for Information Technology Policy: Rick Weingarten, Director; Carrie Lowe, Kathy Mitchell, Carrie Russell. ALAWON Editor: Bernadette Murphy.