Canadian Bill C-234 to Require ISP licensing

Matthew Skala writes "In Monday's House of Commons proceedings, Canadian Member of Parliament Peter Stoffer (NDP member for Sackville-Musquodoboit Valley-Eastern Shore) introduced Bill C-234, an anti-child-pornography Bill. It requires all Internet Service Providers to get licenses from the Government, specifically including non-profits and individuals. Licensed ISPs then must block Web sites named by the Government as containing child pornography, and must "report information [of the Government's choice] to the Commission for the purposes of this Act" - a requirement that neatly slips in spy-on-your-users requirements under the radar of the ongoing Industry Canada consultation on "Lawful Access" (wiretapping/CanCarnivore)."

Comments

Re:Child P0rn, just a foothold to kill free speach

[orthogonal]

By itself licensing ISP's is not a bad idea. It is a pointless idea, but not bad.

Pointless is bad, when:

it costs tax money to enact and to enforce

it costs individuals and companies money to ensure they're in compliance

it gives lawyers something else to ligitigate about

it takes away government resources, like police time, from legitimate problems

Just figuring out what laws apply, and what taxes accrue, given the mammoth complexity of federal law (in any Western nation), requires anyone doing business to pay far too much to a lawyer and to an accountant.

Pointless costs money and time without producing any individual or societal good. Pointless is bad.