MAYOR ORDERS INTERNET
CLEANUP FOR KIDS

City of Boston Press Release Mayor Menino today ordered his chief of computer technology, Michael Hernon, to restrict Internet access at all computer workstations that the city provides to children. This announcement will directly impact computer availability in the Boston Public Schools, Public Library, and the Boston Community Center.

Mayor Menino said, "We are investing in new technology as learning tools. I have directed my technology chief to immediately restrict unsupervised access to the Internet by children. To protect against the abuse of access that computers can allow, we will install at these various city departments the appropriate software or network filters that will prevent unlimited access to the Internet by children."

Mike Hernon, director of MIS, will install data filters in the city's information network that restrict access to specific objectionable materials. In addition, for city departments that utilize non-network access to the Internet, he will identify the appropriate personal computer software to be installed before that workstation is made available to children.

Restricting access to information gleaned from the Internet is a continuing challenge for software developers. The tools developed to perform this function do so in different manners, including:

• Some Internet filters shut out access to certain known site addresses for adult entertainment services, etc. These filters are frequently updated, much in the same way that virus detection software works;

• Other software restrict the user from searching for specific material by denying searches for words or phrases associated with violence or pornography;

• For a network, a service such as Library Safe essentially builds an electronic firewall that restricts entry at the gateway.