Internet filters can effectively block pornography sites without significantly impeding access to online health information, a new study says, but only if they aren't set at their most restrictive levels.
Researchers at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, an independent philanthropic organization that focuses on health care issues (www.kff.org/topics.cgi), tested the 6 most commonly used filters. They found that those set at high levels block 24% of health information while providing only a 4% increase in blocked pornographic content; 87% of pornography sites are blocked by the least restrictive filter. Kaiser Vice-President Vicky Rideout says filters can potentially be a “serious obstacle” to young people looking for health information on issues such as sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases and birth control. — CMAJ