Google Fighting EU's Attempt At Web Regulation
 

http://money.telegraph.co.uk/money/m...9/cngoog29.xml


Seems the EU want's to do what China did, regulate online content!

This is gonna be interesting to watch.

Censorship on the internet will never work. The world is too big and more and more people have access. For everyone that gets shut down or censored, there are 2-3 more waiting in line to start something new.

It looks like it's working fine in China...

good to see that

And with Google's help...:Oh crap

it can't work in a democracy.. because the politicians will not be re-elected. They will be known as assholes who try and censor freedom... like Tipper Gore.

Asshole who try and censor freedom = Bush = Re-elected

I think some content may should be censored, all this porn screw up peoples sex live and we need to do freaky shit because regular screwing just ain't cut it anymore :)

nah I am of course against it but that was just a downside of the freedom.

Doubt it will happen - at this time.

There is going to be a very fuzzy issue on use of the words "censorship" and "regulation" tho - and this will be used and abused, initially by not only China, but many countries who claim to be democratic. (You ever noticed the volume of "regulation" from nations who shout the loudest about democracy?)

The other factor is.. the EU will eventually end up like the US and start making claims/demands on others - it's the big brother bullying on the block. They basically waste more money trying to get an upper hand while the folks who pay their tax revenue end up worse off.

The other issue the EU currently has on the table is that of domain names and the organisation controlling registration - ICANN. They are questioning why this org is not an international one and "democratic", but under contract/sub-contract to the US govt.

Who knows, but there may be the day where hosting of adult may need to be done from a location where their laws don't have "regulation". It's almost like "offshore" - then the pressure will start from the "democratic nations" over "a need for regulation" with the excuse that this provides an "unfair advantage". This is the same way high tax regimes whine about offshore locations giving "unfair tax advantages" - ie that there is, either little or no taxes. It's nice to see "democracy in action" with "democratic" countries telling others how they need to managed. :cool-smil

If anything, this will only seperate the players from the posers.



They will never shut out online porn. Sex is a basic human desire, and higher level of technology only make it more open and accessible.


I still don't want to see it happen though.

At the rate we're going it'll happen in the US and it will be done in the name of 'security' :/

.

I don't really think they are trying to target regular porn.

From what I understood they would go after things like hate content and child porn.

Hillary is for it too! But I guess since she is a Dem no one cares! :disgust

When the infrastructure is in place to screen for those, then what next? Just wait until a moral panic emerges, and they'll begin going after niche content, one by one.

Or, just wait until a new government gets elected that feels it needs to be proactive about "dangerous ideas"


The Internet has been so successful because it is, for the most part, free of government intervention in the flow of ideas and content.

Only my :2 cents: worth... but suspect the US will "cool" over a few years and get back to some sanity. (Tho this could be disputed if there are more attacks and provide the "management" with an excuse to continue to manage using an aura or "fear" and threat of attack)

The other factors .. least currently.. are things we know of... 2257 for the righteous concern of protecting children (tho unable to act on current laws that make provision for this). These proposals have little to do with child protection :)

While the US struggles with "regulation" - the EU will end up doing the same, - it's inevitable and what "committees" do.

Meanwhile... tho probably years ahead yet, other nations (several who have excellent cabling) will earn a living providing hosting without regulation (or least with obvious common sense minimum regulation - including the "protection of children", but without the hassle.)

Yea.. true Ray! Much of this is common sense stuff.

Sure can't see the day the EU actually "bans" porn. But... they sure love the concept of a "porn tax" much the same as the US would love to enter that area - they head where the bucks are. :)

:) :) ..............

The rise of the matrix

I concur. Controlling the world wide web is like touching the stars... Someday, it will probably come but for now, it's near impossibility.

Not much new ... many european countries have long regulated internet content; ebay, etc have been forced to implement filters on services intended for some visitors, such as those located in Germany and France.

And even Canada, which some think as a bastion of freedom, outlawed the distribution of magazines, such as High Times for a time back in the late 80s / early 90s ... on an aside, Marc Emery, a famous canadian activist, helped change the laws to allow for such publications again.

One really can't go by what China does ... they've had firewalls, in a matter of speaking, for thousands of years to control access; China is hurting itself in the longrun ... right now they are growing, but unless they change their political stance on things, their success won't last ... but I digress.

Freedom of speech remains a powerful issue in the U.S. and thus, unless the U.S. dramatically changes course, the overall internet won't change much due to the large influence of the U.S., including mundane things like webhosting - many "foreign" sites are actually hosted in the U.S.; many in Texas.

Ron