Internet Filters

With such a large number of people connected to the Internet, concerns for the safety of viewers have arisen, especially in the area of adult pornography. Many of the people who oppose adult pornography have advocated a law requiring Internet filters that restrict access to all pornographic material on the Internet. However, a law that requires Internet filters for all citizens are not the best solutions because there is insufficient justification to implement them and that many problems would occur from their implementation.

The filtering of adult pornography on the Internet is not justifiable for a myriad of different reasons. First, children can be protected from accidentally viewing pornography

As the numbers of pornographic websites continue to grow and grow, protection is indeed needed. However, this protection could be provided through more convenient and less restrictive methods, rather than through a law requiring Internet filters. The easiest solution would be for parents to monitor younger children while on the Internet. Parental supervision would be able to direct children away from pornography websites and protect them from any potential harm (Hacker). This guidance would also educate the children so that when they become older, they would learn what to avoid on the Internet and how to protect themselves from accidentally viewing pornography in case parents are not available to supervise. A second solution to prevent children from accidentally viewing pornography would be to install filtering software on private computers. Filtering software is currently available on the market and can easily restrict all unwanted websites (Wade). Many different filtering programs, such

Studies performed by Donnerstein and Linz (1989) and Krafka et al. (1999) resulted in no direct link between pornography and increased sexual aggression. (Hunter). Not only is there no proof that pornography and increased sexual violence are related, but a 1983 study by the Metropolitan Toronto Task Force on Violence Against Women found that pornography may have a cathartic effect and can therefore reduce incidences of sexual violence ("Pornography" McElroy). With a lack of scientific evidence, it is incorrect to associate adult pornography with increased sexual violence. Therefore, a law requiring Internet filters to block Internet pornography based on the fear of increased sexual violence is unjustified.

Although there is a belief that adult pornography portrays women as sex objects and that women are coerced into the pornographic business because of the patriarchal society, this, however, does not warrant a law that filters all adult pornography on the Internet. This belief lacks scientific evidence that proves pornography is harmful to the image of women and is based upon ideology (Hunter). Wendy McElroy, former president of Feminists for Free Expression/Canada and author