In your own backyard

One of the common misconceptions we hear is that internet filtering only happens abroad. Certainly, there are some governments with more restrictive policies than others, and we track those. But, filtering is not just an “over there” practice.

TechCrunch began reporting yesterday that AT&T was blocking some bulletin boards maintained on the 4chan.org site.  The twittersphere went mad with reports and, as of this post, has just started spreading the word that the boards are accessible again.

This ISP-level filtering has outraged many, yet there are many places where filtering is de rigeur, like our workplaces or our libraries.  Herdict wants to track this type of filtering as well.  If you’re an AT&T customer, tell us if you can get to 4chan now.  If you can’t get to facebook at work, report that too.  As some one braver and wiser than me intoned, “knowing is half the battle.”

About the Author: lmiyakawa

Laura Miyakawa is the Project Manager for Herdict. In this role, she directs the tactics and the long term strategy for the site. Prior to joining the Berkman Center, Laura worked with the Boston Consulting Group, developing strategies for high tech clients up and down the East coast. While at BCG, she had the opportunity to work in outback Australia on a Welfare Reform pilot. Recently, she worked as a commercialization associate at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, where she handled all patenting and licensing decisions for the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering. Laura holds bachelors and masters degrees in electrical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and MIT, respectively.