Information Technology Services has blocked three student-created websites from the UNC network this year — a potential cause of concern for free speech advocates.
As of Oct. 15, ITS officials have prevented access to alertcarolina.com, bevii.com and ConnectCarolina 2.0 from UNC’s network to protect its computing systems from future security threats.
Robert Shibley, senior vice president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, said this is worrisome.
“Generally speaking, in a free society shutting access in a free domain is a bad idea,” he said. “Particularly, when you’re a university, it sets a dangerous precedent.”
Shibley thinks that a university’s first priority is to educate students, and that blocking websites should be a last resort. He said Americans should not forget that in these instances, a government agency is shutting down a website on a free domain.
“My main concern when it comes to these situations is that universities in the name of promoting security or ITS, should be careful not to get in the way of student innovation,” said Shibley.
In August, UNC junior Winston Howes launched ConnectCarolina 2.0 as a modified version of ConnectCarolina. Six hundred students provided the site with their Onyens and passwords.
ITS officials said they blocked the website because students gave their personal information to a site that wasn’t under the UNC network and potentially not secure.
“A part of what was happening with ConnectCarolina 2.0 was some work to try to build a site that performs additional functions,” said ITS specialist Kevin Lanning. “ITS has since been working to assess feasible improvements for the official ConnectCarolina in response.”