Public library Wi-Fi filtering outside the US
Most writing about library filtering is about CIPA, a United States law. Libraries in the UK, Europe, Australia, Canada and New Zealand work under different rules, different professional traditions and often a parent council's IT policy.
This guide is for library managers, council and municipal IT teams and the providers who run library networks. It explains what typically applies, how to set fair policies and how to deploy them. US libraries should start with our library web filtering page instead.
How this differs from CIPA
CIPA links filtering to US funding. Outside the US there is usually no single funding-linked rule, so the decision sits with the library authority, informed by general law and professional ethics.
| Question | United States (CIPA) | Typical outside the US |
|---|---|---|
| Is filtering required? | Yes, for libraries taking E-Rate discounts or certain library funding, on computers covered by the rules. | Usually no general legal duty to filter. Filtering is a local policy choice, often set by the parent council. |
| What must be blocked? | Visual depictions that are obscene, child sexual abuse material, or harmful to minors (for minors). | Illegal content everywhere. Anything beyond that is a policy decision. |
| Adult unblocking | Filtering may be disabled for adults for bona fide research or other lawful purposes. | Common practice, framed as access to information rather than a legal exception. |
| Who decides? | Library board, with E-Rate certification. | Library service, council IT, or a national or regional library network. |
| Main references | CIPA, FCC rules, E-Rate forms. | Data protection law, intermediary liability rules, safeguarding duties, professional ethics statements. |
For the US side in more depth, see CIPA web filtering.
What typically applies, country by country
A starting map, not legal advice. Laws and guidance change, and local authorities add their own rules. Verify the current position with your legal team or library association.
United Kingdom
We are not aware of a general statute that requires public libraries to filter. In England and Wales, councils have a duty under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to provide a comprehensive and efficient service, which supports broad access.
In practice filtering is widespread. A 2013 study found that almost all Scottish library services used some filtering, often decided by council IT rather than library management.
Councils are subject to the Prevent duty. Its guidance asks authorities to consider whether public IT equipment should filter terrorist and extremist material. Check the current version.
European Union
There is no EU-wide rule that requires libraries to filter. Libraries that provide Wi-Fi can usually rely on the "mere conduit" protection, now in Article 4 of the Digital Services Act.
In McFadden (2016), the EU Court of Justice accepted that a court may still order a Wi-Fi provider to take measures such as password protection against repeat copyright infringement. Germany changed its law in 2017 to limit Wi-Fi operator liability.
GDPR shapes logging more than filtering. National library laws and municipal policies vary by member state.
Australia
There is no general national requirement for public libraries to filter. Councils and state library networks set their own policies.
The national library association's statement on online content regulation holds that access should be limited only as the law requires, with online safety education as the main response to harmful content.
Many libraries joined eSmart Libraries, a cyber safety framework run by a children's charity. The national Online Safety Act 2021 and the eSafety Commissioner shape the wider context.
Canada
Canada has no federal law equivalent to CIPA for public libraries. Policies are set by library boards under provincial library legislation.
The national library federation publishes a statement on intellectual freedom. Approaches differ between boards: some filter only children's computers, others filter more widely with a way for adults to ask for access.
Check your provincial privacy law for how long patron logs may be kept.
New Zealand
The Department of Internal Affairs runs a voluntary filter that internet providers can join, which blocks a list of known child sexual abuse material sites. New Zealand law does not require providers to use it.
Libraries set their own policies on top, usually through council IT or a shared library network.
If your upstream provider takes part, that layer already applies to library traffic.
Everywhere
Child sexual abuse material is illegal in every country listed here. Many providers and networks block known addresses of it at network level, and libraries should block it as a minimum.
Data protection law, copyright law and the local authority's own IT and safeguarding policies apply in all cases.
Write down which rules your service follows and who decided. That record matters more than any single setting.
Professional ethics: access first
Library associations outside the US tend to frame filtering as an exception to the right of access, not a default. Your policy should reflect that, or explain why it does not.
International
The IFLA-UNESCO Public Library Manifesto, updated in 2022, stresses free and unlimited access to knowledge and information. IFLA also publishes statements on intellectual freedom and public internet access.
Research in the UK
Studies of UK public libraries describe broad, sometimes reluctant acceptance of filtering by staff, alongside tension with professional duties to provide open access.
Australia and Canada
Both national associations publish statements that favour access limited only as the law requires, supported by education rather than broad blocking.
Quote the principles you follow in your published policy. Patrons and councillors then see that filtering choices come from the library's values and duties, not from a default setting in a product.
Four library network profiles
Libraries serve very different users in one building. Separate profiles stop the children's policy from limiting adult research, and stop an open adult policy from reaching the children's area.
Adult public PCs
- Block illegal content and Malware / Phishing / Suspicious
- Adult blocked or behind privacy screens, by local policy
- Everything else open
- Staff-assisted review for errors
Children's and teen PCs
- Adult, Gambling, Dating, Violence, Weapons, Illegal Drugs blocked
- VPN / Proxy / Anonymizers blocked
- SafeSearch forced
- Homework and reference fully open
Public Wi-Fi
- Illegal content, Malware / Phishing / Suspicious, Adult
- File Sharing/P2P blocked or limited
- Captive portal with acceptable use terms
- Usually the same rules for all ages
Staff network
- Security categories and newly registered domains blocked
- Council IT policy applies
- Access to library systems protected
- Separate from public networks
Which categories matter
Using our 59 web filtering categories, most libraries outside the US end up with three groups.
Block on every network
Security and illegality. Nobody needs these for research.
Local policy decides
Usually blocked in children's areas and on Wi-Fi. Adult PCs vary by community.
Keep open
Core library purposes. Overblocking here undermines the service.
Handling unblock requests
A fair unblock process is what makes filtering acceptable in a library. Keep it fast, private and recorded without naming the patron.
Ask
A patron reports a blocked site at the desk or through a short online form.
Open
For adults, staff open the site or category for the session where policy allows.
Fix
If the site is plainly miscategorized for your policy, add it to the always-allow list.
Record
Log the domain and decision, not the patron's identity.
How to deploy library filtering
Many libraries outside the US sit inside a council network with a firewall the library does not control. Plan around that. If you are new to the method, read what DNS filtering is.
Hosted DNS filter
Our managed DNS filter gives each library its own policy for public PCs, children's PCs, Wi-Fi and staff, with a staff PIN to open adult categories for a set time and monthly reports.
Suited to library services that manage their own public network.
Council firewall
Where council IT owns filtering, ask for separate rules for library public networks rather than the staff policy. Staff policies are usually too strict for public research.
Bring this guide to the conversation.
Shared library network
Regional and national library networks can apply one baseline for all members, with local choices on top. Our OEM licensing suits providers who build this for many authorities.
For public Wi-Fi design in general, including captive portals and HTTPS block pages, see our guest Wi-Fi content filtering guide.
Situations a library policy should cover
Library networks reach far beyond the reading room. Each of these needs a line in the policy and, often, its own network profile.
Mobile libraries
Library vans and pop-up services usually run on a mobile router. Set its DNS to the same filtering profile as the public Wi-Fi so the rules travel with the service.
Lending hotspots and devices
Some services lend laptops, tablets or Wi-Fi hotspots. Decide whether loaned devices carry a filter at home and say so clearly in the loan agreement.
Digital inclusion sessions
People applying for benefits, jobs and housing need government, banking and job sites. Keep Government & Legal, Online Banking and Job Search/Careers open on all profiles.
Makerspaces and coding clubs
Software downloads, code hosting and 3D model libraries can look risky to a strict filter. Give these rooms a profile that allows Developer Tools / Code Hosting and Freeware/Software.
Events and room hire
Talks, community groups and exam sittings in library rooms may need a temporary network with its own rules and time limit.
Branches in shared buildings
Libraries co-located with councils, schools or health services must keep their public network clearly separate from the partner's systems.
What to put in your internet use policy
A clear, public policy is what makes filtering defensible to patrons, councillors and the press. Keep it short and specific.
Say what and why
- Which networks and PCs are filtered, and at what level
- The reasons: legal duties, children's spaces, security
- That filters are imperfect in both directions
- Which professional principles guided the policy
Say how to get help
- How to ask for a blocked site to be reviewed
- What staff can open for adults, and for how long
- What is logged, for how long and who can see it
- Who approved the policy and when it is next reviewed
Common mistakes in library filtering
These are the problems that most often lead to complaints, local news stories or quiet loss of trust.
Staff policy on public PCs
Council staff rules block social networks, streaming and job sites that patrons legitimately need. Public networks need their own profile.
Keyword blocking
Blocking by word catches health, history and literature pages. Category data based on what a whole site is about avoids most of this.
No route to unblock
Without a quick review process, patrons give up or go elsewhere, and staff lose confidence in the filter.
Privacy and patron confidentiality
What a person reads in a library has long been treated as confidential. Data protection law adds legal weight to that tradition.
Under GDPR and similar laws
- Logs linked to a library card or device are personal data
- You need a lawful basis and a clear privacy notice
- Keep data only as long as the stated purpose needs
- Browsing can reveal special category data such as health or beliefs
Practical settings
- Do not tie DNS logs to library card numbers
- Keep blocked lookups only, for a short period
- Report by branch and category, never by patron
- Clear sessions on public PCs after each user
For library network and public PC vendors
Public PC booking systems, library Wi-Fi providers and managed network companies serving councils can offer category filtering inside their own product, with policies per branch and per area.
See OEM licensing for embedding our category data, or contact us about a group-wide licence for several products.
- 120 million categorized domains in 59 web filtering categories
- IAB Content Taxonomy in the same file
- About 300,000 newly registered domains categorized every day
- Runs on-premise or air-gapped, with a lookup API included
- Regular manual validations measure accuracy
- Starter database tiers from $999; OEM licences quoted per deployment
Library filtering outside the US: FAQ
Does CIPA apply to libraries outside the United States?
No. CIPA is a US law tied to E-Rate discounts and certain US library funding. Libraries elsewhere follow their own national laws, local authority policies and professional guidance.
Are UK public libraries required by law to filter the internet?
We are not aware of a UK statute that requires public libraries to filter in general. Filtering is very common, often set by council IT policy, and councils under the Prevent duty are expected to consider filtering of terrorist and extremist material on public IT. Check current guidance with your authority.
Do Australian public libraries have to filter?
There is no general national requirement. Practice varies by council and state, and the library association favours access limited only as the law requires.
What should a public library outside the US block?
Most block illegal content and Malware / Phishing / Suspicious everywhere, block Adult on children's PCs and in shared spaces, and keep almost everything else open for adults.
Is a library liable for what users do on its Wi-Fi in the EU?
Libraries that only pass traffic through can usually rely on the EU mere conduit protection. Courts may still order measures against repeated infringement.
Should library Wi-Fi be filtered the same way as library PCs?
Often not. Public PCs can be split into adult and children's areas, while Wi-Fi is usually one network for all ages. Many libraries apply a moderate profile on Wi-Fi and stricter rules only on children's PCs.
Can adults ask for a site to be unblocked?
In most libraries outside the US, yes. Staff can open a site or category for the session, or add a miscategorized site to the always-allow list. The request should be handled discreetly and logged without the patron's identity.
Who should own the library filtering policy?
The library service should own the policy, even if council IT runs the technology. Library staff understand patrons' needs and professional duties, while IT teams handle security and configuration.
How long should a library keep filter logs?
As short as practical. Browsing logs that can be linked to a patron are personal data, and library ethics treat what people read as confidential.
Fair filtering for your library service
Tell us how many branches and networks you run, or what your library platform needs. We will suggest the hosted filter or a data licence.