There is an area of the internet that is avoided by most internet rights groups and that champions the cause for censorship when it comes to scaring up public support: child pornography. Even the most pro-internet-anarchy organizations often acknowledge that it’s the one area that should be addressed. Now, supporters of a controlled internet have a powerful ally for their cause.
British Prime Minister David Cameron has declared war on internet pornography. His plan appears to be one of the most aggressive in democratic countries and may be the legacy moment that marks his career for decades to come.
According to the Telegraph:
A joint British and American “task force” will be created to tackle obscene websites, while Google and other search engine providers will be required to draw up a “blacklist” of the most depraved and illegal search terms, the Prime Minister will announce.
Those who support censorship of the most extreme types of content will point to Mark Bridger or Stuart Hazell, the faces of evil who did terrible things to children and were found to have accessed child pornography online. Some will argue that they were monsters before viewing it and there are those who quench their desires virtually rather than going into the real world, but the argument is weak and somewhat insulting to victims.
The plan by Cameron will include measures to sniff deeper into the most hidden places on the internet as well as other measures, including:
- A new national database of child abuse images for the police and child protection agents to use;
- Internet service providers being compelled to require customers to make an active choice about filtering adult content when they begin using services, with a requirement to un-tick a box which has been pre-set to enforce parental controls;
- A deterrent campaign against individuals who seek to download illegal content;
- More power for the police and the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre to investigate the “hidden” parts of the internet where paedophiles share illegal images among themselves.
- Every householder with broadband internet will be asked to confirm whether they want to activate parental controls blocking adult content by the end of 2014, under the plan.
Are these good ideas that will protect children or do you think that they will take away legitimate internet access rights?
