Access to pornography from university network connections
Dear University of Cambridge,
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 I seek access to
information regarding access to pornography from university network connections.
Please provide me with statistics on how many times the following pornographic websites were accessed from university network connections within the following time periods from March to August.
01/03/15 - 31/03/15
01/04/15 - 30/04/15
01/05/15 - 31/05/15
01/06/15 - 30/06/15
01/07/15 - 31/07/15
01/08/15 - 31/08/15
[links removed]
There are a total of 15 websites. Could you please divide the information according to the dates provided.
If some parts of this request are easier to answer than others, I
would ask that you release the available data as soon as possible.
If you need any clarification then please do not hesitate to contact me. Under Section 16 it is your duty to provide advice and assistance and so I would expect you to contact me if you find this request unmanageable in any way.
Please provide the information in electronic format.
If there is anything I can do to clarify this request, or if there is anything I need to do with the data once it is provided, please let me know. You can contact me on this email or on 02037514541.
I would appreciate it if you could reply to this email to confirm that you have received my request.
Yours faithfully,
Jack Cummings
This is to acknowledge receipt of your request for information. Your reference number is given in the subject line of this email. We will respond on or before 7 October 2015.
Regards,
Freedom of Information Office
University of Cambridge
Registrary's Office, The Old Schools
Trinity Lane, Cambridge, CB2 1TN
T: (01223 7)64142
F: (01223 3)32332
E: [University of Cambridge request email]
Further to your request for information, please find attached the University’s response.
Regards,
Freedom of Information Office
University of Cambridge
Registrary's Office, The Old Schools
Trinity Lane, Cambridge, CB2 1TN
T: (01223 7)64142
F: (01223 3)32332
E: [University of Cambridge request email]
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E Ukrainian left an annotation ()
This is a very interesting request. Not so much in itself as in the reply that it solicited.
The request is of the nature that if the University had to answer that, say, 1000 connections to pornography sites were made it could be embarrassing. So they answered that that they do not hold that information. Very convenient....
I find it very hard to believe that the information is not held. If their answer is indeed truthful, and I personally do not believe that it is, imagine the consequences.... If such data is not held how could they assist with potential investigations into, for example, terrorist activity? It shows that someone could use their network to access terrorist related contents and it would not be revealed even upon police investigation into the offender. Nowadays ISPs are required to hold connection data for many, many months. It seems strange and irresponsible that the University should consider itself exempt.
I think a follow up request on this would be interesting. Would they again refuse the information using one excuse or another? They seem to love to refuse requests on topics of embarrassment, like, for example, with my request and requests of two other people about the same matter....