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Why to Block Websites

The vastness and accessibility of the World Wide Web makes it seductive to modern computer users, but these same qualities present difficulty for parents, schools, businesses and governments that want to regulate the type of information viewed in both public and private environments. While content such as pornography and malware seem like obvious choices for Internet censorship, some authorities also believe it is necessary to block social networking sites and other Web pages that are causing distraction.

  1. Protect Children

    • Parents and educators are concerned about online victimization of children. Websites that aren't specifically designed for children may contain sexually-oriented advertisements and links that misdirect users towards pornographic content. A study conducted by the Crimes Against Children Research Center reported that the number of young people aged 10 to 17 who were exposed to "unwanted sexual material" increased from 25 percent in 2000 to 34 percent in 2005. Parents of older teenagers are equally concerned about preventing children from seeking sexual materials on their own or voluntarily engaging with individuals who will expose them to inappropriate content. Popular websites where youths frequently come in contact with strangers, such as chat rooms and social networking sites, can increase this threat by providing online predators with the opportunity to form relationships with a child without his parents' knowledge.

    Protect Your Computer

    • Protecting computers and software is a major priority for environments that rely on access to the Internet, such as office and school settings. Administrators can't regulate the online activities of students and employees at all times, so it is beneficial to institute a community-wide ban on websites that may damage property or put your personal information at risk. Malicious programs that hack, phish or infect your computer are frequently spread through personal emails, fake YouTube videos, social networking websites, phony security warnings, and fraudulent websites baring familiar logos. Microsoft specifically warns against scams offering phony security software or involuntary solicitations from scammers posing as representatives for well-known companies.

    Prevent Distraction

    • The increasing use of social networking and video-sharing websites can pose problems for both businesses and schools by presenting unnecessary distractions. Companies facilitating a large number of computer-based jobs often establish policies on Internet use in the office to prevent significant decreases in employee productivity. Blocking distracting websites entirely or during work hours encourages employees to remain focused on their assigned work rather than using company computers for personal use. School administrators have similar concerns for students who may become distracted by online socializing or coping with cyberbullying from online peers.

    Offensive Content

    • Private and public censorship of content that is considered offensive or may injur a particular audience ranges from in-home filtering of excessively profane or racially explicit sites to government regulation of materials that present a cultural threat. Computer users may block such websites if they cause personal discomfort or have the potential to incite conflict between different racial, ethnic, religious, political and gender groups. The Chinese government has garnered media attention for enforcing censorship of content identified as controversial or anti-establishment, according to the New York Times. Websites that allow free sharing of information and opinions between users, such as Facebook and Twitter, have been targeted for filtering, as well as content discussing past political movements in China.

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