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UK government’s plans to regulate the internet are a threat to free speech

freespeechunion.org

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Re: UK government’s plans to regulate the internet are a threat to free speech

#11

Post by bennyp101 »

It will no doubt fall at the last hurdle.

Another attempt to 'control' the thing they don't understand, ignore any technical advisors, and play to the crowds.

Unfortunately there are a vocal group who want little Johnny protected from the big bad internet, and who have no desire to educate him themselves, so want a Gov approved scheme - and these sort of plans fit nicely into that.

Hopefully common sense prevails again.

Edit: If it does go through, hopefully it will be a UK Gov Tech project, and will go so horribly over budget and time that it will be scrapped after declaring some allowedwords.txt was a success

Re: UK government’s plans to regulate the internet are a threat to free speech

#12

Post by throwaways885 »

raxxorrax wrote: post #7
djohnston wrote: post #2

The last 5 years have really made question the benefits of free speech in our hyperconnected world. My knee jerk reaction to defend free speech has certainly been dampened by the efficacy of disinformation campaigns in the West.

Because you don't know the alternative. There are worse things out there than bad opinions on the internet. Which disinformation are you talking about btw?

Both political parties have taken "misinformation" to mean "information they don't like", which complicates things.

There are very different levels of misinfo:

- Democrats think Trump is a Nazi/Russian collaborator

- People who think Earth is flat

- People who think Covid-19 is a globalist conspiracy from Bill Gates - so he can inject us with microchip vaccines

- People who think Brexit is an amazing/terrible idea

- People who think QAnon is a real issue

- etc...

It's simply too broad a brush to call it "disinfo", and those who claim to combat disinfo should be looked at with heavy skepticism for this reason. It will get abused for political ends.

Re: UK government’s plans to regulate the internet are a threat to free speech

#14

Post by mrec »

djohnston wrote: post #2

The last 5 years have really made question the benefits of free speech in our hyperconnected world. My knee jerk reaction to defend free speech has certainly been dampened by the efficacy of disinformation campaigns in the West.

I think you have a very rose-tinted view of how these restrictions would be applied, and by whom. The power to decide what counts as "disinformation" would be the most valuable political real estate there is.

Re: UK government’s plans to regulate the internet are a threat to free speech

#15

Post by MiroF »

macinjosh wrote: post #10
umvi wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"The problem with freedom is that people abuse it and cause harm to others." Edit: (to be clear, I do not personally believe this, just offering a little insight as to how the "not insignificant majority" think)

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Words are just words. One may hear or read words that provoke them to violence or other negative behavior but blaming the speech in whole or in part removes agency from those who choose to react in a negative way.

> removes agency from those who choose to react in a negative way.

"I order you to kill this person." Just a combination of words, and yet....

I think there is a continuum between this and non-violent+non-inciting speech and your comment does little to tangle with the difference.

Re: UK government’s plans to regulate the internet are a threat to free speech

#16

Post by jacobush »

macinjosh wrote: post #10
umvi wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"The problem with freedom is that people abuse it and cause harm to others." Edit: (to be clear, I do not personally believe this, just offering a little insight as to how the "not insignificant majority" think)

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Words are just words. One may hear or read words that provoke them to violence or other negative behavior but blaming the speech in whole or in part removes agency from those who choose to react in a negative way.

Sorry but I'm so tired of that phrase. We are social beings. Words have killed many people, and I don't even mean genocide or immoral orders. I mean through depression, suicide and so on.

Re: UK government’s plans to regulate the internet are a threat to free speech

#17

Post by _jal »

bennyp101 wrote: post #11

It will no doubt fall at the last hurdle. Another attempt to 'control' the thing they don't understand, ignore any technical advisors, and play to the crowds. Unfortunately there are a vocal group who want little Johnny protected from the big bad internet, and who have no desire to educate him themselves, so want a Gov approved scheme - and these sort of plans fit nicely into that. Hopefully common sense prevails aga…

The scolds and prudes who are honestly concerned with Little Johnny are just stalking horses.

This is about what it always is: power, control and money.

Re: UK government’s plans to regulate the internet are a threat to free speech

#18

Post by CraigJPerry »

bennyp101 wrote: post #11

It will no doubt fall at the last hurdle. Another attempt to 'control' the thing they don't understand, ignore any technical advisors, and play to the crowds. Unfortunately there are a vocal group who want little Johnny protected from the big bad internet, and who have no desire to educate him themselves, so want a Gov approved scheme - and these sort of plans fit nicely into that. Hopefully common sense prevails aga…

I've been really impressed by GDS, i know it's popular to bash on the gov but in this case, i really think it's mis-placed, they've been really good. Take a peek under the covers and see that their work was adopted in other nations too: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/government-digit...

Now if we're talking about a public tender then of course i agree completely. Are Capita still blocking new Army recruits due only to systems issues 12 years later...

Re: UK government’s plans to regulate the internet are a threat to free speech

#19

Post by Shared404 »

raxxorrax wrote: post #13
abraxas wrote: post #3

Elections have consequences.

Not on this issue in Europe. Almost every party feels powerless and blindly tries to get power over content. Many parties are even afraid of democracy by now.

> Not on this issue in Europe.

> Many parties are even afraid of democracy by now.

So they are afraid of the consequences of elections?

Re: UK government’s plans to regulate the internet are a threat to free speech

#20

Post by HarryHirsch »

macinjosh wrote: post #10
umvi wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"The problem with freedom is that people abuse it and cause harm to others." Edit: (to be clear, I do not personally believe this, just offering a little insight as to how the "not insignificant majority" think)

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Words are just words. One may hear or read words that provoke them to violence or other negative behavior but blaming the speech in whole or in part removes agency from those who choose to react in a negative way.

There's an analogy to campaign reform. Individuals can choose to bribe politicians, and the politicians can choose to accept the cash and otherwise not modify their voting behaviour.

Yet in the real world we can see what Citizend United actualy did.

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