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HTTP Error Code 451 Approved For Censored Web Pages (mnot.net)

Posted by Soulskill on from the what-if-governments-start-censoring-error-codes dept.

An anonymous reader writes: The Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG) has finally approved the new 451 status code for HTTP error messages involving web pages which have been repressed or removed for legal or political reasons. The initiative was proposed in 2013, and gained interest from various groups, such as Lumen (formerly Chilling Effects), who see the potential of the Bradbury-inspired code to help develop comprehensive indexes of censorship on the internet. Mark Nottingham, chair the IETF HTTP Working Group, says, "It'll be an RFC after some work by the RFC Editor and a few more process bits, but effectively you can start using it now."

4 of 141 comments (clear)

  1. We should differentiate between the two by deodiaus2 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Use 451 for legal reasons,
    Use code 452 for political ones.
    And a citation of what particular stature is being offended.

  2. Re:451 by Moof123 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Should have been "Error 1984 Big Brother Disapproves"

  3. Re:451 by radarskiy · · Score: 5, Funny

    451: Halt and Catch FIre

  4. Re:451 by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Arguably, the correct code for 1984-style censorship is either a 404 or a 200 that returns a page full of historically corrected and party approved content.

    The honest censor is the one who says "yup, this exists and you can't see it." The effective censor is the one who successfully conceals the existence of whatever they are trying to keep you away from.