A content filtering proxy is a server that filters and limits access to unwanted or dangerous content. It can also catch malware and viruses. It is used in workplaces and schools to control what people see. The proxy can cache frequently visited sites and keep logs. Critics point out ethical concerns and false positives.
A content filtering proxy is a proxy server, a server that acts as an intermediary between two computers, which filters the content it transmits, limiting access to unwanted, prohibited, or dangerous content. Schools and workplaces can choose to use a content filtering proxy to control what people see while in their facilities. In addition to filtering content, the proxy can also catch malware, viruses and other unwanted software and eliminate them before they enter your network.
Proxy servers typically serve a computer network and act as a mediator for Internet access. When people on the internet enter addresses, the request is forwarded to the proxy so it can fetch the information and return it. One benefit of using a proxy server is the ability to cache frequently visited sites, thereby speeding up network performance. The ability to filter content is another potential feature.
Content filtering is done for a number of different reasons. For productivity, workplaces may want to block employees from visiting sites not associated with work. Schools and libraries may want to filter content to prevent people from accessing pornography and other potentially inappropriate content. If there is an acceptable use policy for the workplace or campus internet, the content filtering proxy can be used to enforce it, by disallowing access to specific sites or with particular strings of characters, such as keywords associated with pornography .
Typically, the content filtering proxy keeps logs. These can allow people to see how the network is being used, by monitoring bandwidth usage and browsing activity. It can also be useful when people are complaining about false positives, when they go to visit a legitimate website and find it blocked by the proxy because it contains content that the proxy is reporting incorrectly. For example, someone in a doctor’s office might have reason to read a website with keywords related to genitalia, and the server might think the site is pornographic and block it.
The content filtering proxy usually has whitelisting capabilities, allowing people to specify that certain websites are always allowed, no matter what content appears to be there. This allows people to adjust false positive filters, to get people access to the sites they need for work, research, or school.
Critics of the use of content filtering proxies focus on ethical concerns about restricting access to information and also point out that creative users can find ways around proxies. They can also point to the false positive rate as evidence that the filtering isn’t as effective as one might like.
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