NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] UK wants blocking of all Internet "porn" by default
UK wants blocking of all Internet "porn" by default http://bit.ly/i5Qn8s (news.com.au) This link contains some of the most inane statements I've ever seen, even by UK politicians. Perhaps the silliest is the suggestion that ISPs have already successfully blocked c-porn -- that's a ridiculous assertion -- the removal or blocking of certain sites says little useful about the overall universe of such sites, especially well cloaked ones, or non-Web-site movement of such materials through other Internet channels. By the way, who gets to decide which sites qualify as "porn"? Given that Google can be handy in finding any information of interest, will the UK government suggest blocking of Google by default as well? No? Then their anti-porn system may have a few holes. What about blocking YouTube? Lots of somewhat "unwholesome" material on there too. That's what free speech is all about. Oops, forgot, we're talking about the UK. No worries about free speech guarantees there -- no pesky Bill of Rights to get in the way of Her Majesty's thought police. And to assume that you could block children (except for the very youngest) from accessing materials they really want to see is ridiculous. Kids will be the first to find workaround and proxy sites -- even if they have to set up their own! And most of the parents won't be the wiser. This appears to all be leading (and the article hints at this) to the requirement that Internet users only be allowed to access by default an "approved" list of sites that have been guaranteed as cleansed by the government (might want to leave out most of those pesky political sites as well, right?) Anyone wanting access to materials on the porn list (or other broader forbidden lists) would of course be closely watched as a known pervert and/or potential enemy of the state. Cue the Ministry of Love. --Lauren-- Lauren Weinstein (lauren@vortex.com) http://www.vortex.com/lauren Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 Co-Founder, PFIR (People For Internet Responsibility): http://www.pfir.org Founder, NNSquad (Network Neutrality Squad): http://www.nnsquad.org Founder, GCTIP (Global Coalition for Transparent Internet Performance): http://www.gctip.org Founder, PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenweinstein Google Buzz: http://bit.ly/lauren-buzz