France blocks online child porn, terrorism, racism

[karyn]

from yahoo

PARIS - France is joining at least five other countries where Internet service providers block access to child pornography and to content linked to terrorism and racial hatred, the French interior minister said Tuesday.

The agreement will take effect in September. A blacklist will be compiled based on input from Internet users who flag sites containing offensive material, Interior Minister Michel Alliot-Marie said.

All service providers in France have agreed to block offending sites, he said.

"We can no longer tolerate the sexual exploitation of children in the form of child pornography," Alliot-Marie said. "We have come to an agreement: access to child pornography sites will be blocked in France. Other democracies have done it. France could wait no longer."

Offensive sites will be referred to judicial authorities, the minister said.

A similar deal was announced Tuesday in New York, where Verizon, Sprint and Time Warner Cable agreed with New York state officials to block access to child porn.

Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Canada and New Zealand are among other countries that have already implemented similar measures.

[Bikerpunk]

Yeah, that'll work.

[Velvet-Tongue]

They'll never figure out code words to get around that!

[Bacchus88]

I can understand child porn, which is crime. Hate isnt crime, people should have that right to choice if they do or not. Now the subject could or can be thin red line, easy to cross into criminal acts. Still they should be able to choice for themselves on the issue of hate. This just like Iran trying to control info going into the country, total bullshit..... China theres another one.....

How they going stop half of France from looking up terrorist sites?

[Morning Glory]

seems like a good idea. but when it comes to censorship, it's always a slippery slope.

not a big fan of blocking out everything that might be potentially offensive to someone that doesn't like anything and has nothing better to do then butt into everyone else's business.

and just what the hell is terrorism? it seems to me that it's a pretty hot topic in current world politics. it could be pretty hard to block people from viewing anything that has to do with the subject. or are they just going to block everyone that is on osama's personal mailing list?

[Kidthorazine]

While I agree with fighting Child Porn, I think is going too far especially for the racial hatred thing, as disgusting as it is, it falls squarely under the banner of free speech (as long as it doesn't directly promote violence, which most of those yahoos are careful not to do)

[Magdalene]

I can understand child porn, which is crime. Hate isnt crime, people should have that right to choice if they do or not. Now the subject could or can be thin red line, easy to cross into criminal acts. Still they should be able to choice for themselves on the issue of hate.

I completely agree. Hate is not a nice thing, obviously, but it's a freedom people should be allowed to have. Once we take away people's freedom to think certain ways, we're just getting into scary territory.

[Bacchus88]

seems like a good idea. but when it comes to censorship, it's always a slippery slope.

not a big fan of blocking out everything that might be potentially offensive to someone that doesn't like anything and has nothing better to do then butt into everyone else's business.

and just what the hell is terrorism? it seems to me that it's a pretty hot topic in current world politics. it could be pretty hard to block people from viewing anything that has to do with the subject. or are they just going to block everyone that is on osama's personal mailing list?

I believe on the line of blocking those who might find ways to help out said terrorist. Cells trying to plot something, along those lines. But you have to be fair about so everyone gets the block not be said faction.

Terrorism is point of view to the person or government, faction, what have you.
Our war of independence, I am sure the British at the time thought Boston tea party was act of terrorism. But we Americans, think of them as freedom fighters. To the western world, 9-11 was an act of terrorism. But just like everything who wins battle, conflict, war and so writes history.

Allies Bombing of Dresden was war crime, but again Victory writes the pages of history.

[Morning Glory]

Exactly. I don't feel much confidence in declaring a war against an enemy that has no concrete definition of affiliation, and so in effect can be used against anyone for anything.

that's what I mean by going too far.

some people might consider trying to supress free speech to be an act of terrorism.

[helcyon]

I have blocked France

[Amelia G]

My friend writer Maria Alexander had an interesting insight on this the other days:

"This simply won't work in France. Because of what happened in WWII, where Frenchmen were encouraged to "report" each other, the cultural attitude today is quite the opposite direction, where French people absolutely abhor the idea of "reporting" on each other. The only exception I can imagine might be for child pornography. But for "hate" websites? With racism such a major problem there, I can hardly believe the Interior Minister thinks this will even begin to happen."

[bakerboy]

There goes: Pretty Baby,Lolita, Billitis, Baise Moi and many others, throw in MOST older US movies maybe even Gone With the Wind... and as to the terrorist links? Many bloggs deal with Quantanamo Bay and there you are... very smart soon there will be nothing left.