The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is blocking certain websites from the federal agency's computers, including halting access by staffers to any Internet pages that contain a "controversial opinion," according to an internal email obtained by CBS News.
The email was sent to all TSA employees from the Office of Information Technology on Friday afternoon.
It states that as of July 1, TSA employees will no longer be allowed to access five categories of websites that have been deemed "inappropriate for government access."
The categories include:
• Chat/Messaging
• Controversial opinion
• Criminal activity
• Extreme violence (including cartoon violence) and gruesome content
• Gaming
The email does not specify how the TSA will determine if a website expresses a "controversial opinion."
There is also no explanation as to why controversial opinions are being blocked, although the email stated that some of the restricted websites violate the Employee Responsibilities and Conduct policy.
The TSA did not return calls seeking comment by publication time.
NOTE: What appears to be going on here is the TSA is blocking CERTAIN WEBSITES from the federal agency's computers, including those which contain "CONTROVERSIAL OPINION." Does anybody want to guess whose opinion is going to be censored?
This isn't an Internet-wide crackdown on free speech, but it is the first I've seen where tens of thousands of Americans are being blocked from "certain websites," presumably being blocked from accessing opinions which disagree with the Administration's policy views. Sure, they're also blocking "Extreme violence (including cartoon violence) and gruesome content" and "Criminal activity," as well as "chat/messaging," so opposing viewpoints are only part of the censorship. What I want to know is this:
1) Are they censoring ALL "controversial opinions," or are the only ones they consider "controversial" those which oppose the Obama Regime's opinions?
2) Why were TSA computers allowed to access the Internet without restrictions anyway? And why is PORN not a blocked category? Was it blocked previously? Are they going to block it?
Remember, this isn't a private corporation, which has the right to do whatever they want with their private property. This is a government agency for which OUR TAXES pay every dime they spend.