The UK's Internet Porn Filter and Fighting Censorship Creep

Posted by Soulskill on Friday January 3, 2014 @05:13AM from the won't-somebody-think-of-the-children dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Guardian takes the UK government's internet porn filter to task by pointing out how absurd the opt-out process is: 'Picture the scene. You're pottering about on the internet, perhaps idly looking up cake recipes, or videos of puppies learning to howl. Then the phone rings. It's your internet service provider. Actually, it's a nice lady in a telesales warehouse somewhere, employed on behalf of your service provider; let's call her Linda. Linda is calling because, thanks to David Cameron's "porn filter", you now have an "unavoidable choice", as one of 20 million British households with a broadband connection, over whether to opt in to view certain content. Linda wants to know – do you want to be able to see hardcore pornography? How about information on illegal drugs? Or gay sex, or abortion? Your call may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes. How about obscene and tasteless material? Would you like to see that? Speak up, Linda can't hear you.' The article also points out how the filter is being used as a tool for private industry to protect their profits. 'The category of "obscene content", for instance, which is blocked even on the lowest setting of BT's opt-in filtering system, covers "sites with information about illegal manipulation of electronic devices [and] distribution of software" – in other words, filesharing and music downloads, debate over which has been going on in parliament for years.'"

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Please ... by PPH · 2014-01-03 05:24 · Score: 1, Funny

... hold the gay sex and drugs. I'll have an extra helping of porn, if that's not too much trouble.

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Have gnu, will travel.
Re:really? by Antipater · 2014-01-03 05:34 · Score: 5, Funny

Americans just get all hot and whimper and then bend over
Just phrase it as "Obama is coming to take your porn!" That'll get 'em riled up good.

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Everything is better with chainsaws.
Re:This is why I like being old by noh8rz10 · 2014-01-03 06:21 · Score: 3, Funny

how the heck are you a 50 year old man nearing retirement? In US you'd be halfway through your working life.
Re:This is why I like being old by lgw · 2014-01-03 06:41 · Score: 5, Funny

You have a sexy voice Linda. What are you wearing? Obscene content you say? Describe it to me in detail, so that I can make an informed decision.

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Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.