Study Finds Internet Content Filtering Ineffective, Harmful

Public Knowledge released a landmark analysis (PDF) showing that filtering of Internet content as advocated by big media companies will not work and will be harmful to the Internet.

Gigi B. Sohn, president and co-founder of Public Knowledge, said: “Our study, ‘Forcing the Net Through a Sieve: Why Copyright Filtering is Not a Viable Solution for U.S. ISPs,’ examines for the first time the complex topic of content filtering from the technical, economic and legal perspectives. Content filtering fails in all of these tests. Filtering will not be the ‘magic bullet’ that the media moguls want, but it could degrade and alter the Internet for everyone while invading the privacy of every Internet user. There is no reason that any Internet Service Provider or media company should even think about engaging in such activity.”

The report was submitted with Public Knowledge’s reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (PDF) (FCC) in the proceeding asking for information on how to structure a national broadband plan. Several content-related parties suggested content filtering should be part of such a plan.