WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal appeals court says a blanket ban on Internet use unlawfully deprives parolees of more liberty than necessary because the Internet has become a necessary component of modern life.

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that the wording in a standard restriction used by the U.S. Probation Office in Kansas conflicts with its previous ruling in a 2001 decision. The court notes that Internet use since then has become even more central to civic and economic life in society.

However, the appeals court ultimately let stand some restrictions against Kansas parolee Ronald Ullmann in the case at hand. That is because the lower district court had modified them to clarify that it was restricting — not prohibiting — his use of the Internet and Internet-capable devices.