Prevent and Internet filtering policies

The request was successful.

Dear Lancaster University,

Can you please supply:

(1) your policy or policy guidance for duties under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 duties for the various local authorities listed in Schedule 6, known as “Prevent”;

(2) your policy relating to Internet filtering, blocking and prevention of access to material deemed inappropriate;

(3) the name of any providers of Internet filtering and blocking services that you use, or else a statement that you do not block or filter content at all;

(4) a list of agreements, arrangements or Memorandums of Understanding between yourselves and bodies such as the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), or Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) of the City of London Police, to receive lists of illegal or illicit content, for instance for the purposes of blocking.

Finally, can you:

(5) tell me if any filtering or blocking service that you use incorporates lists from the IWF, CTIRU or PIPCU, and which lists are incorporated; and

(6) provide to me any clauses within any contract or terms and conditions of service agreed with your filtering and blocking providers that relate to their use of information from the IWF, CTIRU or PIPCU.

Yours faithfully,

Jim Killock

Lancaster University

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Yours sincerely
Claire Stevenson
Records Manager

Freedom of Information2,

Lancaster University

Lancaster LA1 4YW

United Kingdom

Telephone (01524) 65201

 

 

Dear Mr Killock,

 

I write further to your Freedom of Information request i.d. 2146. Please
find our responses below:

 

(1) your policy or policy guidance for duties under the Counter-Terrorism
and Security Act 2015 duties for the various local authorities listed in
Schedule 6, known as “Prevent”;

 

Lancaster University’s approach to Prevent is to embed guidance within a
range of relevant policies including the Code of Practice on Freedom of
Speech, the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups and Individuals Policy, and the
Computer User Agreement (each attached). Lancaster University therefore
has no individual Prevent policy.

 

(2) your policy relating to Internet filtering, blocking and prevention of
access to material deemed inappropriate;

 

At present no filtering or blocking of internet based content is applied.
As a research intensive institution with academics working on the full
spectrum of research it is necessary for content of all types to be
accessible. In line with the Prevent duty, Lancaster University’s
Information Security Foresight Group regularly reviews this policy and
reports to HEFCE.

 

(3) the name of any providers of Internet filtering and blocking services
that you use, or else a statement that you do not block or filter content
at all;

 

As per answer to question 2, no filtering presently takes place.

 

(4) a list of agreements, arrangements or Memorandums of Understanding
between yourselves and bodies such as the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF),
the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) of the Metropolitan
Police Service (MPS), or Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU)
of the City of London Police, to receive lists of illegal or illicit
content, for instance for the purposes of blocking.

 

No such agreements are held.

 

(5) tell me if any filtering or blocking service that you use incorporates
lists from the IWF, CTIRU or PIPCU, and which lists are incorporated;

 

Not applicable.

 

(6) provide to me any clauses within any contract or terms and conditions
of service agreed with your filtering and blocking providers that relate
to their use of information from the IWF, CTIRU or PIPCU.

 

Not applicable.

 

Regards,

 

The Compliance Team

Lancaster University

 

Your request i.d. is: 2146. Please quote this in all enquiries.

 

 

The University aims to comply fully with its obligations under the Freedom
of Information Act 2000 and to ensure that the service it provides for
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If you feel the service you have received does not meet our aims or your
expectations, please write to:

 

Hilary Hunter

 

Head of Governance Services

University House

Lancaster University

Bailrigg

Lancaster

LA1 4YW

 

 

If, following our internal review, you are dissatisfied with the response
provided, you may write to the Information Commissioner’s Office, for
details visit [1]www.ico.org.uk<http://www.ico.org.uk>.

 

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