A Pornographic Website Asking Us to Filter Them

[Jonathan Woltz]

I don't know of any legal cases that address this issue, but I think it's
unlikely that someone committing fraud using one of your library's public
internet computers exposes your library to liability.  This would be akin to
claiming that your library is responsible if someone commits fraud using one
of your public phones or photocopiers.

Your campus probably already has a policy prohibiting the use of the net for
criminal purposes.  If someone violates your campus net use policy, you're a
victim, not a perpetrator.

(As far as the porn site requesting that you block access, I'd simply tell
the site to get a clue about fraud detection.  They can be ripped off from
anywhere, not just your library.)

                        Jon Woltz


: Jonathan Woltz, Automation Librarian
: Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Weatherford, OK 73096
: E-mail: woltzj at swosu.edu  Ph. (580)774-7074  Fax (580)774-3112
: http://www.swosu.edu/library/


----- Original Message -----
From: Donald Barclay <donaldb at library.tmc.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list <web4lib at sunsite.Berkeley.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 1999 10:53 AM
Subject: [WEB4LIB] A Pornographic Website Asking Us to Filter Them


> Here's a new one on me:
>
> The head of our systems office got an email today from the owner of a
> pornographic website. She informed us that someone using computers with
such
> and such IP addresses has repeatedly committed fraud by signing up at her
> website under the name "Joe Schmoe" and giving false checking account
> numbers.  The IP addresses she listed were for public-access computers in
> the Library. The website owner insisted that the Library do something
about
> the fraud and suggested that we filter her site on our computers.
>
> When our systems head showed me the message, my response was that any
> sellers of pornography who want to ban our entire IP range from accessing
> their websites won't hear any objection from me. The Library, however,
> shouldn't have to be the policeman for any web-based business. The more I
> thought about it, though, the more absurd it seemed that a porno site was
> asking to be filtered. Oh strange new world that has such creatures in it.
>
> On a more serious note, does anyone know of any law or court cases that
have
> touched on the idea of a library or computer lab being liable for fraud
> committed on public-access computers? I can just see our Library Board of
> Directors imploding when some pornography vendor sends us a bill for
> pornography fraudulently accessed via the Library's public-access
computers
> or tries to sue us for the same reason.
>
> I only can imagine what the late Lion of Lake O***** would have had to say
> about this one.
>
> Donald A. Barclay
> Houston Academy of Medicine-       always the beautiful answer
> Texas Medical Center Library           who asks the more beautiful
question
> donaldb at library.tmc.edu                                   -- e. e.
cummings
>