The Inconsistent Work of Web Filters: Mapping Information Access in Alabama Public Schools and Libraries
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6944-28728-1-PB.pdf
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2.34 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
ca9212415a793f1a27411967c5b1e282
Author(s)
Peterson, Chris
Oltmann, Shannon M.
Knox, Emily J. M.
Date Issued
January 2017
Journal
International Journal of Communication
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Citation
Peterson, Chris et al. "The Inconsistent Work of Web Filters: Mapping Information Access in Alabama Public Schools and Libraries." International Journal of Communication 11 (January 2017): 4583-4609 © The Author(s)
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Recent popular and academic discussions regarding the Internet
have raised the question of whether and how networked intermediaries have a (dis)integrating social effects. In this study, we use public records of configurations of Internet filters in Alabama public schools and libraries to show how different institutions implement
nominally consistent content standards inconsistently. We argue that these varying implementations are both significant and troubling for two reasons: first, they overreach the stated goals of the legislation with whic
h they in principle comply; second, they may contribute to a broader epis
temic breakdown by fragmenting the kind of information made available through and across public institutions.
Keywords: Internet filtering, filter bubble, censorship, critical infrastructure studies, algorithms, categories, CIPA, libraries, schools, Leigh Star
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Media Laboratory
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-NoDerivatives
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
http://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/6944/2182
