Frankly, there’s no good way to write this article. The United Kingdom is banning porn, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
That, in itself, isn’t even the craziest part of Prime Minister David Cameron’s creepy invasion into the British computer: according to Open Rights Group, the ban, which can be removed per an individual’s request, will also include blocks on “violent material, … alcohol, smoking, web forums, esoteric material, web blocking circumvention tools.”
Of course, this is based on preliminary contact with the U.K. Internet service providers that will be tasked with enforcing the ban, and could easily become more or less stringent as legal details change. Still, what doesn’t seem to be changing is Cameron’s insistence on the importance of Internet filters on a broad range of materials. According to Cameron, it’s all in the interest of protecting computer literate children from material that provides a “direct danger” to their innocence.
To editorialize here would be redundant, given the millions of Britons already frustrated by their prime minister’s insistent opposition to their Internet leisure.
Still, there are valid points to be made about what kind of precedent this sets for the future: placing a default “ban” on any sort of questionable material seems akin to advocating for jail time for those who illegally pirate music or movies, or arresting a teenager for an off-color comment he made on Facebook: each is an example of antiquated politics, feebly – and unsuccessfully – trying to catch up to new legal and moral challenges posed by changing technological platforms.
Cameron sums up the concerns of some with a moment of unaware glee:
“By the end of this year, when someone sets up a new broadband account the settings to install family-friendly filters will be automatically selected. If you just click ‘next’ or ‘enter’, then the filters are automatically on. […] And, in a really big step forward, all the ISPs have rewired their technology so that once your filters are installed, they will cover any device connected to your home Internet account.”
Many are having a hard time seeing how this would be a step forward, let alone something to celebrate: should the convenience of parental control come at the cost of the true authority of parenthood itself? After all, if the British government is making these choices for its citizens, will there be room left over for actual families in the United Kingdom–not just their Big Brother–to have the difficult conversations that come with learning about the world?
For all his good intentions to preserve the youthful innocence of his and his country’s children, perhaps David Cameron should consider that in the Age of Internet, discussions of the possible dangers on the Web ought to be a part of growing up.
Photo Credit: Scrubs, Season 3