One of the main reasons for Internet restrictions is to prevent student abuse of the system; students may engage in illegal activities, such as downloading unauthorized music. Another reason involves a positive commitment to education. For example,some schools prevent access to social media sites and chat client services to keep students focused on their schoolwork.
Schools use filters and firewalls to monitor online activity and block certain sites. A filter prevents outbound access to specific sites -- the list of sites is typically compiled by the faculty and administration. A firewall also protects the system from external attacks. Firewall settings are more comprehensive -- they can block a range of IP addresses or a set of blacklisted sites, for example.
Students can gain complete Internet access through the use of various online services and software applications. One way is through the use of proxies; these act as substitute IP addresses which allow students to bypass barriers. Some sites offer a full range of services for the student, most of them free of charge. However, because these services are public, schools can track down the students using them. Students who are caught are typically stripped of their access rights.
A major issue with Internet restriction is the prevalence of good online content. While restrictions are effective in preventing illegal activity, the school's reasoning for forbidding access to clean sites and services may be questionable. For example, students argue that restricting access to social media sites effectively prohibits them from expressing opinions and engaging with the online community. In addition, chat services can allow students to be more productive online; conducting group discussions and interviewing experts for research can be done more conveniently through chat.