The Federal Communications Commission today adopted measures to ensure that implementation of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), a law mandating the use of Internet blocking software in public libraries, complies with the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding that law.

"The FCC failed to take this opportunity to clarify when and under what conditions blocking software must be turned off for adult library patrons seeking access to speech protected by the First Amendment," said Kevin Bankston, EFF attorney and Equal Justice Works/Bruce J. Ennis Fellow. "The Supreme Court clearly expects that this so-called 'filtering' software will be turned off for any adult who requests, yet the FCC inexplicably failed to state a clear requirement that libraries do so."