The federal government is making a concerted effort to ensure that all public schools have computer access to the Internet. It is providing funds for computers, low-cost connection rates, and other incentives to see that schools get online. But many teachers and parents are concerned about children going online in schools and libraries because of the proliferation and accessibility of X-rated websites. According to a 2000 report released by the Family Research Council, “pornography is becoming a staple in one library after another because adults and children are accessing it through unfiltered library computer terminals.”

To protect their students from inadvertently encountering sexually explicit material on the Internet, many schools and libraries are installing software filters on their computers that block access to prohibited sites. Advocates of software filters support government efforts to require the use of filters in schools...