8/7/01   2:33 am GMT
		23 August 1996 Internet Censorship Censorship of the internet has again reached the headlines as London's Metropolitan Police get in on the act. There follows the text of a letter from them to all internet providers in the UK asking for links to be cut from a number of newsgroups. Usefully for those sad people who can't find real people to have sex with, the anoraks from the Met then list the sites they consider the pick of the bunch. Before that, Chris Ellison examines what's behind the demands for regulation and why he won't be having any of it. We should not be surprised that Scotland Yard have asked internet providers to ban pornographic newsgroups, since they all accept the need for censorship. When a senior officer from Scotland Yard writes to 140 Internet Service Providers telling them which newsgroups they must ban, you might think that this is old fashioned state censorship. The letter lists 133 allegedly pornographic newsgroups, and reminds the companies that the publication of obscene articles is an offence. It warns that they must undertake self-regulation or the 'Clubs and Vice Squad' will "move to an enforcement policy". It is telling that the combined forces of the Metropolitan police could only come up with 133 'pornographic' sites out of the 60 000-odd newsgroups currently available. The tiny minority of sites which they "believe contain pornographic material" represents a drop in the ocean compared to the other sites on the Net. The unquestioned assumption in all the debate is that the availability of pornographic images on the internet poses a significant threat to society, especially children. However, the idea that children are adversely affected by certain ideas and images is entirely spurious. For most children the only excitement to be had from a pornographic image comes from the fact adults have made them taboo. Events preceding this crackdown, and the responses to it, tell us that this move does represent something rather new. To begin with, as Scotland Yard's letter points out, the Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) had already volunteered to assist in the initiative. Despite this collaboration with the police many internet service providers did criticise the action. Criticisms of the move from ISPs themselves generally took three forms: that the banning of certain newsgroups would merely drive internet porn underground; that internet technology would render newsgroup censorship ineffective in any case; and that ISPs cannot be forced to take responsibility for the content of the service they provide. All of these criticisms have one thing in common: they all accept that something must be done about pornography on the internet. As Andy Cowan from Wave Rider Internet put it: "We would all like to ban some of these newsgroups, but this isn't the way to go about it". Or in the Independent (22 August), the Managing Director of VBCnet GB Ltd. wrote: "We would be happy to provide technical input to the police in support of their efforts to enforce the law. What we object to is their understandable attempt to shift responsibility...on to the ISPs". Their preferred mechanism for regulation of the internet has been on offer for some time. Internet Service Providers have been collaborating to provide a Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS) which would impose a ratings scheme on internet material. Users of the internet would be able to have data screened by their machines, or ISPs, to prevent the availability of "unsuitable material". Some of the enthusiasm for this alternative derives from the thought that it would actually be more effective at censoring material on the internet. The perception that pornographic images on the Net are on the verge of performing untold psychological and emotional damage to our children, and transforming adults into paedophiles and perverts, indicates the exaggerated sense of risk that is prevalent today. It is not the realities of internet technology that have given rise to this, but an increasingly downbeat view of human behaviour which assumes that left to our own devices we are always likely to harm others and ourselves. As a consequence we must submit to guidance, self-control, and regulation. A world in which we must surrender our freedom for the sake of the children. The result of subscription to this view is the transformation of the internet into a sterile, regulated, children's playground, where dissent from the new moral codes for behaviour is not tolerated. Those who fail to follow the guidelines will face the wrath of the Net-nanny state and its supporters. Every debate today about the internet concentrates on negative aspects: its use by pornographers, racists, nazis and paedophiles; discussions about addiction, hypnosis and obsession abound. Rarely if ever, are the positive aspects in relation to communication, information-gathering and educationof the Net discussed. Those who seek to foster the new morality, who would like to appoint themselves onto the growing army of regulatory authorities, shouldn't be surprised to find themselves in the midst of the boots of the boys in blue. For those of us who want to be treated like adults, opposing all attempts to censor the Net, either self-imposed or otherwise, must be our first step. ---------------------------------- FROM THE METROPOLITAN POLICE SERVICE   Clubs and Vice Unit Charing Cross Police Station Agar Street London WC2N 4JP Telephone: 0171 321 7752 Facsimile: 0171 321 7762 To: All Internet Service Providers Dear Sir / Madam Pornographic Material on the Internet Further to the seminar held at New Scotland Yard on 2nd August I enclose, as promised by Superintendent Mike Hoskins, a list of those Newsgroups which we believe contain pornographic material. We have attempted to confirm that the Newsgroups listed currently contain this offensive material but as you will be only too aware the content is continually changing and you will need to satisfy yourself about the nature and content before taking any action. Furthermore, this list is not exhaustive and we are looking to you to monitor your Newsgroups identifying and taking necessary action against those others found to contain such material. As you will be aware the publication of obscene articles is an offence. This list is only the starting point and we hope, with the co-operation and assistance of the industry and your trade organisations, to be moving quickly towards the eradication of this type of Newsgroup from the Internet. At the seminar we debated the means of maintaining an up to date list and you will recall that ISPA volunteered to pool information and assist in this initiative. However, we are very anxious that all service providers should be taking positive action now, whether or not they are members of a trade association. We trust that with your co-operation and self regulation it will not be necessary for us to move to an enforcement policy. Yours Faithfully Stephen French Chief Inspector List alt.binaries.pictures.boys alt.binaries.pictures.child.erotica.female alt.binaries.pictures.child.erotica.male 0alt.binaries.pictures.children alt.binaries.pictures.erotic.children alt.binaries.pictures.erotica child alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.child.female alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.child.male alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.children alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.lolita alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.pre-teen alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.teen.fuck alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.young alt.binaries.pictures.lolita.fucking alt.binaries.pictures.lolita.misc alt.sex.boys alt.sex.children alt.sex.fetish.tinygirls alt.sex.girls alt.sex.incest alt.sex.intergen alt.sex.pedophile.mike-labbe alt.sex.pedophilia alt.sex.pedophilia.boys alt.sex.pedophilia.girls alt.sex.pedophilia.swaps alt.sex.pedophilia.pictures alt.sex.pre-teens alt.sex.teens alt.sex.weight-gain alt.fan.cock-sucking alt.binaries.pictures.voyeurism alt.binaries.pictures.lolita.fucking alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.voyeurism alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.young alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.uniform alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.urine alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.teen.fuck alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.uncut alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.spanking alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.teen.female.masturbation alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.pornstars alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.pre-teen alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.oral alt.binaries.fetish.scat alt.binaries.pictures.erotic.anime alt.binaries.pictures.erotic.centerfolds alt.binaries.pictures.erotic.senior-citizens alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.animals alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.art.pin-up alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.breasts.small alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.butts alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.cheerleaders alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.disney alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.fetish.feet alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.fetish.hair alt.binaries.pictures.erotic.senior-citizens alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.teen alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.male.anal alt.sex.pedophile.mike-labbe alt.sex.masturbation alt.sex.fetish.tickling alt.sex.fetish.waifs alt.sex.fetish.watersports alt.sex.fetish.wrestling alt.sex.first-time alt.sex.fetish.girl.watchers alt.sex.homosexual alt.sex.incest alt.sex.intergen alt.sex.jp alt.sex.magazines alt.sex.masturbation alt.sex.movies alt.sex.necrophilia alt.sex.pedophilia alt.sex.pictures alt.sex.pictures.female alt.sex.pictures.male alt.sex.services alt.sex.spam alt.sex.spanking alt.sex.stories alt.sex.strip-clubs alt.magazines.pornographic alt.magick.sex alt.personals.spanking.punishment alt.sex. alt.sex.anal alt.sex.bestiality alt.sex.bondage alt.sex.breast alt.sex.enemas alt.sex.exhibitionism alt.sex.fat alt.sex.fetish.diapers alt.sex.fetish.fat alt.sex.fetish.feet alt.sex.fetish.hair alt.sex.fetish.orientals alt.binaries.multimedia.erotica alt.binaries.pictures.boys alt.binaries.pictures.children alt.binaries.pictures.erotica alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.amateur.d alt.binaries.pictures.amateur.female alt.binaries.pictures.amateur.male alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.anime alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.bestiality alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.blondes alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.bondage alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.cartoons alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.female alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.furry alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.gaymen alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.male alt.binaries.pictures.erotica. orientals alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.pregnant alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.teen alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.teen.d alt.binaries.pictures.girlfriend alt.binaries.pictures.girlfriends alt.binaries.pictures.girl alt.binaries.pictures.horny.nurses alt.binaries.pictures.pictures.nudism alt.binaries.pictures.tasteless alt.homosexual alt.sex.swingers alt.sex.telephone alt.sex.trans alt.sex.wantedy alt.sex.watersports alt.sex.bestiality.pictures alt.sex.children alt.sex.cu-seeme alt.sex.fetish.scat alt.sex.fetish.tinygirls alt.sex.fetish.wet-and-messy alt.sex.oral alt.sex.orgy alt.sex.pedophilia.girls alt.sex.pedophilia.pictures alt.sex.pictures.d alt.sex.stories.gay alt.sex.stories.tg alt.sex.super-size alt.sex.tasteless alt.sex.teens alt.sex.video-swap alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.black.male alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.children alt.sex.sm.fig Join a discussion on this commentary
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