The state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation, a future Prime Minister once said. Nearly 50 years later, it's time for an update, as the state has no business in our computers either.
Inspired by British Prime Minister David Cameron, who has proposed legislation that would require British Internet service providers (ISPs) to filter any adult-related content on home Internet connections unless the customer has asked for it -- to protect children, they say -- Conservative MP Joy Smith says she wants Stephen Harper to bring similar regulation to Canada.
For all their supposed opposition to big government, why does it always seem to be the Conservatives that want to play Big Brother? Why is the party of parental responsibility not leaving the state out of this, and putting the responsibility to educate and protect children where it belongs, with their parents?
Parents have plenty of tools if they want to lock down their computers and block adult content, with a variety of applications and parental controls on the market. Many ISPs even provide them free of charge to their customers. An ISP-level filter is unnecessary.
Of course, young people still find the content. And they will no matter where the filter resides. It would be as simple as going over to a friend's house that doesn't have the filter enabled. Young people will always find such content if they want to -- they're much more tech savvy than their parents anyways. That's why trying to build a firewall, besides being impracticable, isn't the answer. Education is the answer. Parents need to have a conversation with their children at the appropriate age and put such information in context.
How would the Conservative great porn firewall work anyways? Would each ISP decide what qualifies as adult content that must be blocked? Would the government create an adult content censorship committee to review content for dirtiness and maintain a black list? And whose standards would prevail?
We got a preview of the sorts of issues and false positives that would arise last week when Tim Horton's came under fire for blocking access to a (clean) gay and lesbian news site on its Wi-Fi network. After a public outcry, it reversed the ban and blamed an overzealous contractor.
The state has no business in the computers of the nation. This is a horrible idea that should be killed here and now. Leave the state censorship, Internet firewalls and blacklists for China.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
The state has no business in the computers of the nation
Thursday, August 02, 2007
An apparently not subversive enough BCer in Ottawa
On Friday morning I’m off to Ottawa for the long weekend for the first time since I moved back to B.C. nearly six years ago. As a Cartoon U alum I’m looking forward to revisiting some of my old stomping grounds (I’m going to stay in res for nostalgia’s (and price’s) sake, though they better not stick me in Glengarry) and of course another sure to be fun Progressive Bloggers BBQ on Saturday.
Speaking of bloggers, some bloggers/readers will be gathering for drinks in Ottawa on Friday night, if you’d like to join us for some beers, political discussion and subversion send me an e-mail and I’ll send you the details. It’d be great to see you there.
I also plan to have a shawarma tomorrow. And any Ottawan worth their salt will tell you that the best shawarma in town is from Maroush International Shawarma. Or at least it was six years ago.
Amazing what you can find on Youtube these days:
What a dangerous looking group, no? I bet Harper is shaking in his non-designer, working man loafers. I wonder how many of these bloggers have been blocked from viewing now on government computers?
Frankly, I’m kinda bummed they haven’t banned me. Haven’t I been subversive enough Steve? Wasn’t the whole Deceivin’ Steven thing kind of annoying, or constantly pointing out the laughable difference between your rhetoric and your action? What is it Galloping Beaver, Calgary Grit, BigCityLib and Bread and Roses have that I don't Prime Minister?
Sigh.
I must redouble my efforts! Tomorrow, the progressive bloggers take the subversion from our basements and into Ottawa, the belly of the beast.
Steve, here we come!
UPDATE: Thanks to April Reign for the sweet badge at right. Get yours today!