Starting next month, anyone under the age of 17 will be required to take an Internet safety course before they are allowed to go online at the public library in Hillsborough County, Florida. The course, which takes about 20 minutes to complete, is designed to teach children how to avoid the dangers of online sexual predators.
Meanwhile, Reuters is reporting that Iran’s judiciary has sealed off the offices of a popular news Web site critical of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s policies after journalists continued to update it despite official filtering. Rights groups and diplomats say a broad crackdown on dissenting voices is underway in Iran, which is under growing Western pressure over its disputed nuclear program. Iranian authorities deny the reports, saying they allow free speech.