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Posting Porn Link Judged Unlawful in Hong Kong

Posted by Zonk on from the touchy-on-titilation dept.

hkxforce writes "Can you imagine posting a link to a website that would get you arrested by the police? In Hong Kong, a middle-age man has been heavily fined for posting a porn link in an adult discussion forum. 'A court in the Kwun Tong district of the city heard that Woo provided a hyperlinked message on the forum which, when clicked, would enable other forum users to access an overseas pornographic website showing the photos. But Internet Society chairman Charles Mok Nai-kwong said the court case raised several concerns. 'In this case, the court has given a new direction to the public concerning the responsibility of internet users,' he said. Mok added that he also believed the case could damage the freedom of information on the internet. 'This man posted a link on the internet which now becomes an act that constitutes the breaking of law, and my question is whether a link is being regarded as the 'obscene article,'' he said.'"

17 of 146 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Oh Yeah? by vivaoporto · · Score: 3, Funny

    If posting a picture of nekkid women in Hong Kong can get you arrested, I don't wanna imagine what happens to whoever is brave enough to post a link to Goatse there. Oh, my eyes!

  2. red light district? by polar+red · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Is telling someone the correct way to the red light district also illegal then ?

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  3. CSI by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 5, Funny

    So when can we expect to see CSI: Goatse Victims Unit?

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    It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
  4. Yes, I can. by Chris_Jefferson · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Can you imagine posting a link to a website that would get you arrested by the police?

    Yes I can. If I posted a link to hard-core snuff porn on a primary school web-forum, it wouldn't suprise me. In my world of analogises, that would be like walking into a primary school and handing the stuff out on DVDs, and I'd hope most people would want that to be an offence.

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    1. Re:Yes, I can. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      walking into a primary school and handing the stuff out on DVDs, and I'd hope most people would want that to be an offence.

      God, what is it with you americans and sex. Why is it dangerous to see two people have sex, but it is perfectly OK to see people be beaten up, maimed and killed??

      Handing out DVDs in a school is, and should not be, a criminal offence. That is ludicrous.

      I don't know how repressed you were as a kid, but when I grew up, 10 year olds were reading pr0n on paper. They were just curious and it would not make the world better to arrest them for a criminal offence, just because the pr0n is on DVDs.

    2. Re:Yes, I can. by Chris_Jefferson · · Score: 4, Funny

      1) I'm not American
      2) I said "snuff film" which a) is people begin killed and b) I really hope you weren't watchin when you were at school.

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      Combination - fun iPhone puzzling
  5. so what happens when... by Phil246 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    someone posts a link to a perfectly innocent thing; the host for which later either changes the image maliciously or as a result of a security breach into something forbidden.
    Would they hold the person who posted the link at fault then?

  6. Re:Oh Yeah? by owlnation · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The thing about goatse is though, is that it's NOT porn.

    It's probably more akin to horror. It's eye violence, eye rape. It actually is offensive to most people, it's design and utilization is to shock and offend.

    Not so with porn. While that does offend right wing religious fascists and left wing womens groups (what a nightmare combination), it does not offend many other people - most people, in fact.

    The object of porn is enjoyment. Thus it should really be embraced and encouraged as long as (some) controls are in place to ensure it gets to its appropriate audience. Arresting people for pasting links is not appropriate control.

    And since this thread can be safely considered NSFW, and is going to be a NSFW link free-for-all, then here's my preferred site.

  7. Pron != Murder by Nymz · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If I posted a link to hard-core snuff porn

    That would be illegal because murder is illegal. If you were to dress up as Mickey Mouse and tell children to go out and kill for Allah, that would be bad because murder is bad, not Mickey Mouse. Though I could understand the confusion. :)
    1. Re:Pron != Murder by mikiN · · Score: 3, Interesting

      If you were to dress up as G.I.Joe and tell children to go out and kill for Jesus, that would be bad because murder is bad, not G.I.Joe. Though I could understand the confusion, more so if the G.I.Joe guy happens to be an Army recruitment officer.

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      The Hacker's Guide To The Kernel: Don't panic()!
    2. Re:Pron != Murder by Dragonslicer · · Score: 3, Funny

      Army recruitment officers don't tell you to go out and kill for Jesus. Only politicians do that.

  8. Where would something like that happen...? by julesh · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Can you imagine posting a link to a website that would get you arrested by the police?


    Yes.
  9. Ain't surprised. by GomezAdams · · Score: 3, Informative
    Remember this is in Communist China. The press loves to tell us that China is now post-communism since it allows citizens to own businesses. There is still only one political party there, they have very strict policies against just about everything. And very strict punishments for all the offenses. And anything can be considered a crime if you cross the local CCP representatives. There is very little of what most of the rest of the world consider to be basic personal rights allowed there. Sure they can earn and make more money than before but the economy is still centrally controlled and the government has it's hand in the till to build up it's military and maintain it. The People's Liberation Army is there to keep it's citizens in line (Tianamen Square), not to keep people out of the country who want to enjoy having their lives being controlled and being threatened with punishment for just about any action we take for granted. The Chinese do not have freedom of press, speech, religion, freedom to gather in groups unless it is approved, due process of law, and ownership of anything can be revoked by the Communist at any time for any reason.

    Remember this when you buy all that cheap Chinese stuff at the stores that it is helping to maintain what is in fact a slave nation.

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    Too lazy to create a sig...
    1. Re:Ain't surprised. by erbmjw · · Score: 5, Informative
      Not really -- they are in semi-autonomous Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_administrativ e_region_(People's_Republic_of_China)#High_degree_ of_autonomy

      Currently, the two SARs of Hong Kong and Macau are responsible for all issues except acts of state like diplomatic relations and national defence: consequently, they have their own judiciaries and courts of final appeal, their own legislature, immigration policies, currencies and extradition processes. The pre-existing legal systems, namely common law in Hong Kong and Portuguese law in Macau, are preserved except consequential to establishment of courts of final appeal. With listed exceptions, national laws applying in the mainland do not apply in a SAR. These listed exceptions must involve diplomacy, national defence or something beyond the scope of the SAR's autonomy.


      The laws of Hong Kong are based on a mixture of British law and Chinese law http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_Law_of_Hong_Kon g

      IANAL --- but I did live in Hong Kong for a while trust me in Hong Kong you want to buy/rent/watch porn or go to a strip club to see naked women -- no significant problems.
    2. Re:Ain't surprised. by suv4x4 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Remember this is in Communist China.


      Oh right, in Fascist America we beat 'em again by suing people for links as early as 2000, in a case related to our beloved DMCA.

      Don't get me wrong, I don't have a beef with USA, but such remarks piss me off. The label doesn't mean a thing. Communist or Fascist or Democratic, actions speak more than words.
  10. Re:OK let's play by sheriff_cahill · · Score: 5, Funny

    Being an Australian, I wouldn't risk it. They'd probably extradite me.

  11. Very important detail by billcopc · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Did anyone notice the guy posted on an adult board to begin with ? So in Hong Kong, theoretically speaking if you're in a sex shop and you point out one of your favorite DVDs to another customer, would they toss you in the slammer ?

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