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Is Filtering Software the Answer?
According to Justice William J. Brennan, "sex . . . has indisputably been a subject of absorbing interest through the ages." The portrayal of sex in books, magazines, movies, and television is now commonplace. Although sex is not synonymous with obscenity, the media have the potential for portraying sex in an obscene manner. Now, the Internet has joined this list as the newest medium to portray sex, and in instances to portray it obscenely. The government of the United States has put laws in place to prohibit publication, sale, and exhibition of obscenity, but enforcement has been inconsistent in light of the constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and freedom of the press. One method of dealing with obscene sex or pornography on the World Wide Web has been through filtering software. Filters appear to put the question of what is pornography into the hands of individuals. Yet is this truly the type of control given by filters and is it the best way to deal with pornography on the Internet?
As the number of World Wide Web sites has increased exponentially and access to the Internet in schools, libraries, and the home has improved, parents have expressed a growing concern that their children will be able to view indecent materials, especially pornography, online.
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