McCain Backs Off Filtering Requirement of Schools

Staff -- Library Journal, 2/2/1998

Sen. John McCain, R-AZ, seems to be backing away from his proposal that any school that receives FCC-mandated telecommunications subsidies would have to find a way to "limit" access to indecent Internet material. However, McCain told the Arizona Star that he wouldn't force schools to use the filters. "I believe they will turn the filters on once they've seen what's out on the Internet, but I don't think my judgement is better than theirs," he said. Meanwhile, ALA President Barbara Ford criticized McCain's proposal, telling the Philadelphia Inquirer that requiring schools to certify that they block access to "indecent" material could be "one more hoop" that might discourage schools from applying for discount telecom rates.