CBS News reports:
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is blocking certain websites from the federal agency’s computers, including halting access by staffers to any Internet pages that contain a “controversial opinion,” according to an internal email obtained by CBS News….
The email does not specify how the TSA will determine if a website expresses a “controversial opinion.” There is also no explanation as to why controversial opinions are being blocked.
Sounds extremely controversial to me (and apparently to lots of others).
I think this means if the TSA posts a web page explaining what they’re blocking access to and why, they’ll have to make sure their employees can’t see it.
July 5th, 2010 | 5:15 pm | #1
And what is to stop the employee from looking at the web page on his laptop at lunch?
July 5th, 2010 | 10:39 pm | #2
It will be hard for them to monitor threats to transportation safety coming from holders of controversial opinions that lead them to terrorism.
July 6th, 2010 | 1:35 am | #3
Chuck, a simple DNS filter would cut off access to “controversial” web sites to the entire local network, not just individual machines.
I don’t care if TSA employees can’t browse the internet at work, but I certainly don’t want any government agency getting used to the idea of identifying acceptable and unacceptable opinions! I would bet that there are already Supreme Court rulings about this sort of thing, but one more opportunity to reaffirm the 1st amendment’s protection against government sanction or censure of particular speech can’t be a bad thing.
July 6th, 2010 | 11:07 am | #4
There is software to get around DNS filters but even then, what is to stop the employee from looking at the sites at home?
Still, I agree, any chance to reaffirm the First Amendment is a good thing so this may come under the “blessing in disguise clause.”
July 7th, 2010 | 7:23 pm | #5
The cowards have backed down according to Drudge.
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