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SurfWatch Blocks Filtering Facts Web Site

The pro-filtering advocate Filtering Facts Web site found itself briefly blocked in early March by SurfWatch, whose marketing director Teresa Marcroft confirmed to March 11 to the New York Times. Marcroft explained that SurfWatch restricted www.filteringfacts.org, which serves as the cyber-headquarters for Lake Oswego (Oreg.) Public Library librarian David Burt’s anti-pornography campaign, because it resides on the same commercial server as a pornography site.

“Those mistakes do sometimes happen,” Burt told the Times. “The fact it was unblocked so quickly shows how responsive they are.” SurfWatch is among seven filters that he recommends on his Web site.

Ironically, within days of the incident Burt had released Dangerous Access, a report documenting incidents of library patrons accessing pornography.

Posted March 15, 1999.

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