S.S. Field Marshall Napolitano withdraws ban on controversial websites

Day one: Janet Napolitano bans “controversial websites.” Day two: Internet uproar reaches crescendo. Day three: Janet Napolitano says, “Forget it.”

Final score: Internet 1, Police State 0

The Washington Times has the details:

After an uproar from conservative bloggers and free-speech activists, the Transportation Security Administration late Tuesday rescinded a new policy that would have prevented employees from accessing websites with “controversial opinions” on TSA computers at work.



The ban on “controversial opinion” sites, issued late last week, was included as part of a more general TSA Internet-usage policy blocking employee access to gambling and chat sites, as well as sites that dealt with extreme violence or criminal activity.



But the policy itself became controversial as the Drudge Report and a number of conservative bloggers highlighted the possibility that the policy could be used to censor websites critical of the agency or of the Obama administration in general. The American Civil Liberties Union also questioned the language.



TSA spokeswoman Lauren Gaches said the agency’s revised “acceptable use” policy for Internet access on the agency’s network was designed to block sites “that promote destructive behavior to one’s self or others.”

”

After further review, TSA determined the ‘controversial opinion’ category may contain some sites that do not violate TSA’s policy and therefore has concluded that the category is no longer being considered for implementation,” she said in an e-mail to The Washington Times.

Bad week at IHateTheMedia.com. We can’t get a fatwa issued against us for insulting Islam. We can’t get Napolitano to name us as banned controversial site. We can’t get Lindsay Lohan to return our phone calls.

How’s a website supposed to get a little publicity?

Source: Washington Times