Pros  

1.  Filtering keeps children from viewing sites they should not see such as pornography and gambling sites.

2. Filtering can sift through e-mail messages for the characteristics and behaviors that are unique to spam messages and prevent spam. 

3.  The filtering process makes us more efficient by

getting rid of the low value information and just

allowing us to receive information with a high value

to us.

4. Web-filtering software can prevent your computer’s browser from displaying specific Web sites, block some junk mail, and stop users from entering sensitive information into online forms.

5.  Filtering is used to protect the patron's freedom of choice and local control.

1. You cannot get a list of blocked sites for free.

2. Censorware companies use keywords to generate the blacklist so “keyword blocking” cannot truly be turned off. 

3.  Sites such as chicken breast recipe, Super Bowl XXX and Anne Sexton are blocked with filters and are not potentially dangerous subjects to children. 

4.  Filtering is a threat to civil liberties and could infringe on our rights and freedoms. 

5.  Filters sometimes do not work as well as they should and still allow children to see sites that they shouldn’t see.