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Symantec Says No To Pro-Gun Sites

cluge writes "A recent American Rifleman contained small column that said that Symantec's new Internet Security 2004 would block pro gun rights sites (i.e. NRA sites), while not blocking similar anti-gun rights web sites. Being the eternal skeptic, this claim was tested by downloading the trial version and running some tests against it. To my surprise I found the every NRA site was blocked and was in the category 'weapons.' This even included the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action. Some sites that were not blocked were notable anti-gun rights sites such as The Brady Campaign, and Good Bye Guns. The only anti-gun rights site that was blocked that I could find was Hand Gun Control's web site." Read on for more.

cluge continues: "My rather informal test still raises the spectre that a large corporate entity may be clandestinely trying to sway you or your child's political views by censoring content from one side of a political debate. This is indeed chilling, especially considering that such software is required to be used in libraries to protect children. Is this political slant common in censorware? Have slashdotters found similar glitches in other 'parental control' software?"

Slashdot has certainly covered censorware before, but reports like this are still valuable as the world evolves.

10 of 1,716 comments (clear)

  1. Whoever is responsible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    deserves to be shot.

  2. Oh shit... by BJH · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...here comes another +1000-comment pro-gun/anti-gun flamewar :(

    1. Re:Oh shit... by CGP314 · · Score: 5, Funny

      If you use Symantec's product, it's only a 500 comment anti-gun rant. :)

  3. Re:Hypocrites. by velocipenguin · · Score: 3, Funny

    Can anyone recommend a good non-symantec antivirus and software firewall? I hear unplugging your computer is great for stopping hackers and viruses.

    --

    Move 'sig'. For great justice!
  4. Re:Hypocrites. by CaptBubba · · Score: 4, Funny

    But if you unplug it, doesn't that leave open ports in the back of it?

  5. Re:ACLU to help out? by Jeffrey+Baker · · Score: 4, Funny
    Basically anybody who I can predict what they are going to say before they open their mouth (Charles Heston or Michael Moore) just bores the shit out of me.
    You must be seriously disappointed with the state of Slashdot these days!
  6. Re:Hypocrites. by Throtex · · Score: 3, Funny

    You've obviously never tried to explain Goatse.cx to a 10 year old. :)

  7. Thread summed up. (Top Ten List) by fuqqer · · Score: 4, Funny

    1. Lots of posts saying that Symantec is a private corp and can do what they want.
    2. A Few retorts saying that even though Symantec is private, their software is being used in libraries, thereby censoring or applying their views to government funded institutions that are supposed to be neutral.
    3. Huge flamewar about how gun control is good or bad.
    4. People bitching about the ACLU and whether or not it will defend second ammendment rights and if it's a second ammendment issue or a first ammendement issue.
    5. Nobody talking about how they could use a gun to go hunting and get food.
    6. I hate Sementec / I love Symantec flamewar, what's the best firewall?.
    7. Conservative Bashing / Liberal Bashing / George Bush = Adolf Hitler posts.
    8. Are you still reading this list?
    9. A LOT of posts about how the US sucks and the Euros and Japanese are doing everyting right with guns, crime, patents, and any other government regulation issues.
    10. I have no sig, so I thought I'd make number 10 some kind of question on how to make a recursive post sig. How would it be done?

  8. Re:Hypocrites. by Asgard · · Score: 4, Funny

    Parking that thing would be a pain; I'd recommend a Harrier Jumpjet instead.

  9. Re:Hypocrites. by BLAG-blast · · Score: 3, Funny
    Yay! I can stop viruses and render all my games useless! All that, and I still get the privledge of installing patches regularly. Sign me up!


    You know, that some where some CEO will read this
    and think "hey, no viruses and no games? Sounds like
    it would increase productivity".....

    --
    M0571y H@rml355.