New web filter to block forums

[Jord]

I'm surprised we don't have a thread about this already, unless I'm blind.

 

Women appreciation thread is going to get us blocked

 

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-07/27/pornwall

 

As well as pornography, users may automatically be opted in to blocks on "violent material", "extremist related content", "anorexia and eating disorder websites" and "suicide related websites", "alcohol" and "smoking". But the list doesn't stop there. It even extends to blocking "web forums" and "esoteric material", whatever that is. "Web blocking circumvention tools" is also included, of course.

[Thrik]

I'm kind of just waiting to see how it plays out. Obviously I am vehemently opposed to this considering I run a forum where free speech is encouraged as much as possible.

 

This wouldn't be the first time this UK Government has said things like this that have never gone anywhere, and there's been a lot of backlash from the media and public. Even one of the Prime Minister's own former members of parliament (a woman) has publicly disagreed with the idea of rape porn being disallowed because over half of women have rape fantasies.

 

Already there're signs that they're backing down with these ideas after endless technical experts have made it clear how impossible this truly is. Also, some very real concerns that I share have been brought up: if we start filtering out certain terms, what happens when people go looking for suicide help websites (sometimes such sites talk people out of suicide), sexual health websites, etc?

 

And then there's the business aspect. We know that filters block sites when they shouldn't, so what if certain businesses' websites and blogs start getting blocked by anyone using these filters? Companies could end up getting shit performance on their websites and never know why. And what if someone wants to actually read a news story about porn, sex, etc? Are sites like the BBC going to start getting blocked?

 

Unless everything is blocked manually according to very open and transparent procedures, there's no way this can work. And even then, even the biggest team on Earth couldn't block everything satisfactorily. It's a futile and naive proposition coming from people who know nothing about technology. Cameron saying that 'the brightest minds will figure it out or the law will make them' or some shit doesn't make it any less impossible.

 

I'm personally against any kind of web filtering, believing that education is the way to go so your kids know what to expect — and not letting them on the internet when they're too young for it. I know that web filtering software has been around for years and also a number of UK ISPs now offer them as opt-in services, but I really wish parents didn't use them because it causes problems as described above. Trust your god damn kids.

[D3ads]

United Kingdom; a Constitutional monarchy‎ ‎police state...
 
I don't know how this works exactly but if EOT is hidden unless you're registered, doesn't that make it invisible? You can't find any EOT threads if I search for it on Google...

Edited July 29, 2013 by D3ads

[Thrik]

EOT is completely non-existent to non-registered people.

 

Of course it depends how the filtering works. Some ISPs like TalkTalk have web filtering in place right now, but you have to enable it. I've no idea how dumb they are but they can't really do much beyond block sites added to a blacklist and detect words used on pages.

[Kinky]

If the system DC is proposing goes ahead it will be run by Hauwei (who also run the TalkTalk system) so will likely be very similar. Although they deny it tooth and nail its also widely believed that Hauwei are in charge of China's blockade.

 

Sorry if that was in the article ...read millions of them already.

[Jord]

My issue isn't that filtering exists, if you want to opt in for filtering, great. My issue comes with it being an opt-out service where many people will either just agree to it as they don't want to admit they watch porn or not care about it either way and will automatically get filtering enabled.

 

I live with my gf's mum right now and the internet/phone is in her name. I'd have to get her permission to have porn enabled basically.

 

One huge step forward for censorship though, I really hope they u-turn on it because it's going to have some horrible consequences to the future of the internet.

[blackdog]

I hope this is not going anywhere, as I already stated in the Ridiculous News Topic i guess: Net Neutrality is sacred.

That said, I don't think the Women appreciation could be made inaccessible, it doesn't falls into the categories they would be filtering.

I dunno how they would filter stuff, sounds like China filtering searches + some content check + blacklisting (of course).

They wanted to activate filters in Italy too, a couple years back, that was driven by the pirate traffic. Result is, filtering is more expansive to providers, than having traffic because of p2p.

They way they wanted to enforce the filtering was to filter at provider level the packets that are being moved around, but that's just bonkers: why a provider would want to protect other people's contents at their expense?

They do indeed filter anyway, but what they do is called "traffic regulation" or something like that, so that when there's a lot of traffic, they give less bandwidth to those who are sucking it. If you are using some p2p software they also easily detect the traffic and let you download, but makes it almost impossible to browse the web, discouraging you to do so.

[Jord]

https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/51746

 

Petition against it. 

[-HP-]

I don't like where the internet is going...

[Sentura]

I don't like where the internet is going...

 

The internet isn't going anywhere... The govern mentas of countries however...

[KoKo5oVaR]

Don't worry uk people, mapcorian solidarity around the world will send you porn by email !

[Kedhrin]

"extremist related content"

"extremist related content"

"extremist related content"

"extremist related content"

"extremist related content"

"extremist related content"

"extremist related content"

"extremist related content"

"extremist related content"

[syver]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jD17bn2UEg

[Sentura]

"extremist related content"

"extremist related content"

"extremist related content"

"extremist related content"

"extremist related content"

"extremist related content"

"extremist related content"

"extremist related content"

"extremist related content"

 

Jihad Allah Akbar Mossad Israel Bombs C4 Rockets NASA

[TarrySruman]

how will i browse my jihad-themed gay suicide bulimia scat porn forums while buying alcohol and cigarettes on amazon

 

Sorry I couldn't fit "esoteric material" into that sentence. But seriously all this "think of the children" shit is totally stupid. Maybe if all kids stumbled upon some jihad-themed gay suicide bulimia scat porn forums every once in a while the world would be better place.