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UK Internet Censorship

by slenderdog | January 19, 2008 at 09:14 am

494 views | 0 Recommendations | 3 comments

The UK government has implemented an internet blocking mechanism called Cleanfeed. Ostensibly implemented to block access to child pornography in the UK, Cleanfeed blocks sites listed by the Internet Watch Foundation. But, as Frank Fisher observes, this list is not available for scrutiny, leaving open the possibility that other sites are being blocked.

the government, in the person of Home Office minister Vernon Coaker, simply demanded that all UK ISPs "voluntarily" sign up for the system - there is no legislative backing for this at all. And second, no doubt only because no open discussion took place, no parliamentary debate occurred, and therefore no real examination of the dangers of such a process were exposed, no one except the Home Office knows what's on that final list. We're led to believe that it's purely a list of child pornography sites. But no one outside government knows. Not even the ISPs. They block; they don't look.

Censorship, even for socially commendable purposes, is censorship. Few would argue that access to child pornography is desirable. But why is it necessary for the censorship of undesirable material to be conducted in secret? What is the Home Office hiding?

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corrie (not verified)

at 18:16 on September 27th, 2008

This could not be any more insidious if child molesters thought it up themselves, imagine a list of domain names where monsters can freely post real rapes of children, without the inconvenience of being targeted and picketed by the public... considering the simplistic nature of the 'ban' it will still be very easy for child molesters to use a public proxies and side-step the filter, and share content with confidence in the knowledge that there is absolutely no public pressure on anyone to track them down and rescue any children.. because the dumb masses have been blindfolded.

you know it hadn't occurred to me till right now, but this government does not care about saving kids from being abused.. It just wants to save adults from being offended. sickening.

misery (not verified)

at 22:06 on March 5th, 2009

I might have discovered proof that the iwf are filtering more than child pornography. Using google.co.uk via be internet to search for the words : suicide method , produces a chilling effects report that the IWF have requested a page is being blocked. I'm struggling to grasp why this term would appear on a CP site.

Freddyoky (not verified)

at 06:09 on May 3rd, 2009

I understand that Censorship is needed but I've noticed that although I can watch some pop video's on british tv when I try and watch them on you tube they are not available in my country? I agree that we dont want to be able to see child pornography but wouldn't it be far better to shut the sites down then censor needlessly? the answer was that, "they are in countries which allow them to operate," Don't these countries have any moral standards.