University Task Force Opposes Porn Filters

AUSTIN, Texas – A University of Texas System task force submitted recommendations opposing the use of pornography filtering technology to the school system’s chancellor this week, according to a statement released on the UT System’s website.

Noting that, “[T]he pursuit of knowledge is an indispensable component of higher education,” the Electronic Media Standards Task Force recommended that university policies be revised to more closely follow state law and that strong leadership be used to deal with improper computer usage instead of a filtering system.

“Pornography is not illegal,” Mike Godfrey, general counsel for the UT System and head of the task force, told Daily Texan reporters. “We should not be making moral judgments based on its use.”

The task force expressed concern that automatic filtering systems may deny students and faculty access to valuable information.

“People do study pornography for academic purposes,” Godfrey said.

The report also recommended the UT System emphasize that use of university computers is limited to tasks related to the university’s mission or personal activities that don’t have a cost associated with them.

Illegal and commercial activities, as well as creating a hostile work environment, would still be prohibited by the task force’s recommendations.

Other suggestions included replacing all mention of “pornographic material” with “obscene material,” creating a graduated penalty process for infractions of university policy, and carefully explaining examples of acceptable and unacceptable behavior.

The task force was appointed by Chancellor Mark Yudof after 10 Health Science Center employees were investigated for looking at pornography while on the job last year.

The report has been posted on the UT System website in order to solicit comments before the chancellor announces his decision on Oct. 15.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Texas Resumes AV Lawsuit Against Aylo Following SCOTUS Decision

A district court judge in Texas has unfrozen the state’s $1.6 million lawsuit against Aylo for allegedly failing to comply with age verification requirements, Bloomberg Law is reporting.

JuicyAds Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

JuicyAds has won its World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) case against a website using a similar domain to impersonate the company's site and defraud customers.

Anissa Kate, Jordan Starr Top AEBN for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top-selling stars for the second quarter of 2025, with Anissa Kate landing atop the leaderboard for straight theaters and Jordan Starr heading up the gay rankings.

AEBN Reveals Eva Maxim as Top Trans Star for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top trans stars list for the second quarter of 2025, with Eva Maxim landing atop the leaderboard.

France Reinstates Age Verification Rule for EU Sites

France’s highest court, the Council of State, on Tuesday reinstated age verification rules for EU-based sites under the country’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law, ruling in favor of the French government and against Hammy Media.

Whisper Fans Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

Whisper Fans has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Utherverse Launches 'Red Light Center' Virtual World

Virtual reality and metaverse technology company Utherverse has launched its new virtual world, RedLightCenter.io.

European Commission Approves AV Guidelines, Unveils Prototype App

The European Commission on Monday released its final, approved guidelines for protecting minors online under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and made public a “white label” age verification app intended to help sites and platforms comply with age verification rules under the DSA.

Show More