Idnet response to Goverment filters?

[gazzthompson]

Has idnet responded too or posted opinion on proposed Gov "porn" filters and censorship?

[zappaDPJ]

I don't think they have but if I have to opt in I'm wondering what the quality will be like

More seriously I have noticed recently I can still connect to all the sites being reported blocked by users on other ISPs. Although in general I've little interest in what is being blocked the scale of it is becoming quite worrying.

[gazzthompson]

I oppose all censorship by Goverment (even the "for the kids" "think of the terrorist" cr*p) and will glady support an ISP fighting it, hence my question.

[mervl]

As far as I'm aware both the copyright court orders and the voluntary filtering option encouraged by the Government only extend to major ISPs. Though the Government would like other ISPs to consider filtering too, but it isn't law.

Personally I can't see what's right about porn, child abuse or copyright infringement, or that it's some improper infringement of liberty that you can't pick and choose which laws you'd rather or not obey. And is an option menu really so difficult that we can't handle it? As for the Government trying to encourage or discourage this or that, well they've being doing it ever since there has been government. The conspiracy theories are modern, though! We all love a good bogeyman, and modern politicians seem to fit the role to perfection.

[zappaDPJ]

I wouldn't presume to speak for IDNet but the obvious answer is that they would have to comply with a court order. All the larger ISPs who have been subjected to a court order have complied even thought they probably could afford to fight it. None have that I'm aware of so that suggests it would be a futile exercise.

There's really more than one issue here. The porn filter is at best laughable and won't affect anybody. If you want porn and the ability to Google 'Scunthorpe' you can still have it. Court orders taken out against the major ISPs in order to block alleged pirate sites is something else entirely. I don't believe the burden should be placed on ISPs. If Sony wants to take down pirate sites then Sony should take steps to take them down directly.

And then the issue of child pornography rears it's ugly head. Nobody in their right mind wants to see that so should the onus be placed on ISPs to block it? I'm really not sure about that one. 

[gazzthompson]

Well I'm not really here to debate  (long story short, deal with your own internet filters as parents should) the point rather see if I missed an IDnet response like AA did:

http://aa.net.uk/kb-broadband-realinternet.html