[Foundation-l] Image filter

[Phil Nash]

???? wrote:
> On 24/09/2011 22:46, David Gerard wrote:
>> On 24 September 2011 22:40, ????<wiki-list at phizz.demon.co.uk>  wrote:
>>
>>> The last I heard the German people, as expressed through their
>>> lawmakers, DO NOT want their kids looking at porn or images that are
>>> excessively violent. They go so far as periodically getting Google
>>> to filter the search results for Germans.
>>
>>
>> Analogously, tell me about your personal endorsement of the Digital
>> Economy Act and justify each provision.
>>
>
> Last I heard in the real world Germans did not want their kids
> looking a images of porn or excessive violence online. That sites
> that were targeted at Germans required age filters, that Google was
> frequently asked to remove pages from theor index, and that ISPs were
> instructed to disallow access to such sites.
>
> Under such circumstances the opinions of 300 self selecting Germans is
> unlikely to be indicative of German opinion.

Unless I've missed something of importance, the stance of parents in Germany 
is little different from those in any other country. The USA and UK have 
both tried, and failed, to impose such censorship, even through licensing or 
grading schemes; but the bottom line is that the internet doesn't work that 
way, and in my experience there is no common denominator jurisdiction that 
has the will or the power to impose any restrictions on a global medium.

Local jurisdictions may attempt to do so, but experience over the last 
thirty years tends to suggest that such restrictions are easily 
circumvented. That's why TOR, to name only one, exists.

Optimistically, global censorship is just not going to happen.