cyber patrol and parents

Cyber Patrol's developers have never revealed the list of sites blocked by the software, let alone offered any justification as to why they are deemed unfit to be viewed. Parents are left completely in the dark as to what sites are blocked by Cyber Patrol. They have to trust the judgement of the developers of Cyber Patrol when it comes to blocking sites. By any criteria, it is hard to justify the assertion that parents are in control when the decision process that determines what sites are blocked is not only out of their hands, but is hidden from public scrutiny.
If a parent chooses to use filtering software, that is their decision. However, having decided that the use of such software is in the best interests of their children, they are at the very least entitled to know what sites are being blocked and why. This is crucial when there is growing pressure on parents to 'act responsibly' and use filtering programmes. ACLU senior staff attorney Chris Hansen: "The larger issue is whether Cyber Patrol and other software companies are going to tell the American public exactly what their software blocks, especially when Congress wants to force both children and adults to use it."
Parents are the ones who are best qualified to make an informed judgement about what they do or do not want their children to view on the Net. These decisions are based on their assessment of their child's robustness in dealing with controversial content and the child's level of maturity and responsibility. Parents are sold filtering software such as Cyber Patrol on the basis that it will 'empower' them in deciding what their children should view. Yet with the developers of Cyber Patrol keeping the list of blocked sites a closely guarded secret, parents far from being empowered are in fact surrendering control over the decision making process. Chris Hansen asked: "How can you, as a parent, make an intelligent decision if the product won't tell you what they're blocking?"