404 Day

404 Day is a worldwide holiday devoted to the problem of excessive censorship of Internet information in public schools and libraries. While this approach is intended to protect children from viewing obscene material, the system is flawed, and students are often blocked from accessing educational or instructional content. The holiday is designed to raise awareness and correct this misunderstanding. It is observed annually on April 4.

History

The story of 404 Day begins with the activists of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (E.F.F.), an organization that monitors online resources. In 2005, the U.S. government, based on the Children’s Internet Protection Act, implemented a system of filtering Internet resources in schools and libraries. The main goal was to prevent underage users from viewing pornographic or other inappropriate content.

Unfortunately, the implementation has its drawbacks. Children often cannot access sites with educational and instructive information that is not prohibited by the Constitution. For example, access to sites with articles about sex education, various diseases, and the harms of tobacco and alcohol is often blocked because these topics are recognized by the filtering system as inappropriate for children. This is a significant issue that needs to be addressed, and this holiday was created to bring attention to it!

Interesting Facts

• The name of the holiday corresponds to the 404 error that appears when access to a website is denied, and it also coincides with the date of the celebration (4/04).
• The 404 error code was created in 1992 to indicate a “Server Not Found” message when users are unable to access a site.
• The Children’s Internet Protection Act has been in effect since 2000.

How to Celebrate

Contact the E.F.F. if you or your children have had problems accessing necessary information online due to filtering. Society needs to discuss this problem openly, as only then can it be solved.

Spread the word about the holiday on social media. Ask users if they support the holiday initiative and what solutions they might suggest to address this issue.

When is 404 Day in 2025?

404 Day is observed on April 4 each year.

Observations