03/02/2020 UNITED STATES V. AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSN., INC. LII > Supreme Court UNITED STATES V. AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSN., INC. (02-361) 539 U.S. 194 (2003) 201 F. Supp. 2d 401, reversed. Syllabus Opinion [ Rehnquist ] Concurrence [ Kennedy ] Concurrence [ Breyer ] Dissent [ Stevens ] Dissent [ Souter ] HTML version PDF version HTML version PDF version HTML version PDF version HTML version PDF version HTML version PDF version HTML version PDF version Opinion of Rehnquist, C. J. NOTICE: This opinion is subject to formal revision before publication in the preliminary print of the United States Reports. Readers are requested to notify the Reporter of Decisions, Supreme Court of the United States, Washington, D. C. 20543, of any typographical or other formal errors, in order that corrections may be made before the preliminary print goes to press. SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES No. 02—361 UNITED STATES, et al., APPELLANTS v. AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, INC., et al. ON APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA [June 23, 2003] Chief Justice Rehnquist announced the judgment of the Court and delivered an opinion, in which Justice O’Connor, Justice Scalia, and Justice Thomas joined. To address the problems associated with the availability of Internet pornography in public libraries, Congress enacted the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), 114 Stat. 2763A—335. Under CIPA, a public library may not receive federal assistance to provide Internet access unless it installs software to block images that constitute obscenity or child pornography, and to prevent minors from obtaining access to material that is harmful to them. The District Court held these provisions facially invalid on the ground that they induce public libraries to violate patrons’ First Amendment rights. We now reverse. https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/02-361.ZO.html 1/13