FOI request for internet search data policy at public institutions (universities)
Dear University of Reading,
I am writing as a research volunteer at the Open Rights Group. We are conducting a study to better understand filtering and blocking of websites on the public estate, to understand what content and sites are inaccessible and why. I am writing to ask about this in relation to Universities. We are following up our previous FOI requests with a refined list of questions to make the answers uniform and suitable for analysis. With this in mind, please answer the questions as directly as possible.
We would like to know, in relation to your publicly accessible Internet networks, or Internet networks for your clients:
1. The categories of content blocked or filtered, e.g.:
(a) Security or Malware
(b) Content types, eg adult, alcohol etc
2. Statistics relating to the requests blocked or filtered, eg how many site requests filtered or blocked per category
3. Monitoring requirements you have for users, eg if you record or may record their Internet usage
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours faithfully,
Pascal Crowe (Open Rights Group)
Dear Mr Crowe,
This is to acknowledge receipt of your request for information below and to let you know it is being processed.
We'll get back to you as soon as we can, but in any case within 20 working days from 05/06/2018.
In the meantime, if you wish to add any further details or check on progress, please reply to this message, without altering the 'Subject:' line, so that we can track your input and respond promptly. The reference for this FOI is - IMPS#02187.
Yours sincerely,
Sinead Latham
Information Management & Policy Services (IMPS), University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AH
t: +44 (0)118 378 8981 www.reading.ac.uk/foia
Dear Mr Crowe,
We have completed the compilation of information in response to your
request.
We can confirm that we do hold not the information specified in your
request. Our responses are given below each limb of your request below,
they do not differ to the response sent under IMPS#02119 in February.
***************************** FOI RESPONSE *************************
We would like to know, in relation to your publicly accessible Internet
networks, or Internet networks for your clients:
1. The categories of content blocked or filtered, e.g.:
(a) Security or Malware
(b) Content types, eg adult, alcohol etc
No information held. There is no content blocking or filtering
2. Statistics relating to the requests blocked or filtered, eg how many
site requests filtered or blocked per category
No information held. Not applicable by virtue of question 1
3. Monitoring requirements you have for users, eg if you record or may
record their Internet usage
No information held. Not applicable by virtue of question 1
We are required to include details of our complaints procedures, including
your rights to apply to the Information Commissioner. The procedure is
detailed in our Freedom of Information and Environmental Information
Regulations policy on the web at
[1]www.reading.ac.uk/freedom-of-information-policy
If we are unable to resolve any complaint, you can complain to the
Information Commissioner, the independent body who oversees the access to
information regimes:
Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Email: [2][email address]
Yours sincerely
Sinead Latham
Information Compliance Officer
Information Management & Policy Services (IMPS), University of Reading,
Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AH
[3][University of Reading request email] t: +44 (0)118 378 8981
[4]www.reading.ac.uk/foia
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