http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/ ... tes-658338

I'm predicting a disaster

What's being proposed is no different to the "great firewall of China", and it's evil.


So I guess they're going to block absolutely everything then? That's the only way to ensure 100% of unwanted material is stopped.

I'm all for "optional ISP-level filtering". I know plenty of people (my granny for example) who'd love to surf more safely, but it has to be opt-in!

I'm against all forms of enforced censorship.
Censorship is an organisation saying "We know what's best for you!"
I say "Who the hell made you God?"
I'm a grown up. My mummy doesn't dictate which websites I browse, and neither should anyone else.

By all means rate content, give it an age classification, offer advice. Create an index of "validated" sites, but never dictate what adults should read or watch!
It may start with a few known criminal sites used for bank fraud or whatever, but when you entrust organisations with such powers there is no telling where it will end. Officials are already abusing too many powers without letting them filter the Internet too. It's our last great hope for freedom, and we're all doomed if we lose it.

I don't remember the last time a publication was censored in Britain. Perhaps it happens more often that I think?

I predict lots of proxy sites being set up, and then what? Block proxy sites? Then open up more proxy sites to the proxy sites, perhaps followed by blocking them?

Instead of blocking everything, why not actually allow law enforcement to do some old fashioned police work? Tracking down people who use them etc.

I completely agree with that. Lock up the criminals instead of punishing the innocent!

The problem is, the web is world wide. We don't have a world wide police force. There are plenty of places Australian or British law enforcement agencies are not welcome.

I'd be interested to see the logistics involved in checking out every single website on the entire inter and underweb and subsequently deciding on which of those have criminal content.

I'd put that at the end of my 'to do' list.

That's a good point. Most of the truly criminal stuff is "dark" so even almighty Google can't see it.

I guess they'll have to make encryption illegal, like America did. VPN to your foreign head office? Oh no you don't!

I read an article on the dark side of the web recently. I can't remember if it was PC Pro, or something the Prof posted on here. To cut a long story short, there's vastly more in the shadows than there is in the light.

I don't know. Blocking access to known kiddy fiddling sites would be a plus in my book.

And so it starts, but where it ends nobody knows. You won't know because you're not allowed to. You can't handle the truth, the subversive, the horror, the politically inconvenient...

Blocking a few Aussie pervs from looking at kiddie porn isn't going to stop child abuse. Finding and locking up the rapists would be the better option.

Prof post

Germany is doing the same thing - at the moment, it is limited to paedophile web sites. If you browse one, you will get a warning screen displayed instead...

Google brands Australian web filtering 'heavy-handed'

http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/ ... ed--658490

Of course, as JJ somewhat alluded to in his post, his comments seem naive at best when you consider their operation in China

Very true but isn't there a problem with the feckers shifting about all over Russia, and many other parts of the world, making it pretty hard for the Authorities to jump on them and kick the crap out of them?

Mind you, just because it's difficult doesn't mean that it shouldn't be tried.

I guess there's a general problem with trying to block access to "criminal" sites. I mean what's illegal in one country is perfectly legal in another country.