Earlier quoted context omitted.
So you could call this one the China Firewall of Great Britain.
B.ritish O.nline L.imiting L.ude O.bjectionable C.ontent S.ystem: B.O.L.L.O.C.S
[...] [O]bjectionable [C]ontent for [K]ids [S]ystem ?
UK Porn Filter Will Censor Other Content Too, ISPs Reveal
91–100 of 176 posts
Re: UK Porn Filter Will Censor Other Content Too, ISPs Reveal
#92This deserves a lot more of a response but for now I'll just leave this: Liberty is about the ability of the individual to do things that others disapprove of. You don't need liberty if everyone else approves of your actions. As a corollary, the exercise of liberty does not require a justification, because it's a liberty, practicality or "usefulness" or what-have-you play no part in it. It's onerous to require someon…
Actually we are in tyranny's clutches and have been for a long time. That most don't recognize it for what it is shows just how powerful it is.
Re: UK Porn Filter Will Censor Other Content Too, ISPs Reveal
#93In my previous line of work, as a criminal lawyer, this is how this would be used:
Q: "Mr Smith, isn't it true that you willingly removed a filter on you Internet connection, places there for your safety, and the safety of your children, and now your connection allows you to watch hard core porn?" A: "But... I did it because.." Q: "Yes or no, Mr. Smith? Did you ask for the filters to be removed?" A: "Yes, bu..." Q: Thank you, Mr. Smitha
Re: UK Porn Filter Will Censor Other Content Too, ISPs Reveal
#94Earlier quoted context omitted.
Say that to thepiratebay. This legislation isn't about shutting down porn websites, it's about blocking their access at the ISP level. This censorship is circumventable by using a VPN or other such technology. Censorship -> damage, Internet -> routes around damage. This has nothing to do with cutting off a website from being accessible by removing it from the Internet.
That's an illustration of just how difficult it can be to try to operate a website with the governments of the G8 out to get you. It's something that requires extraordinary efforts for TPB and only works because it's a meta site, if they had to seed every tracker they index they would have died long ago. Moreover, because of the nature of their site and the demographic it's used by it's trivial for them to slap ads o…
There is absolutely nothing in the UK plan to shut down porn websites.
Re: UK Porn Filter Will Censor Other Content Too, ISPs Reveal
#95Doesn't really surprise me, since it's basically the same thing we already have on mobile connections...
Re: UK Porn Filter Will Censor Other Content Too, ISPs Reveal
#96Earlier quoted context omitted.
Wait, is there already a government-imposed web filter on mobile phones in the UK? And you can't opt out? When did this happen? What were the justifications given when it was put into place? Does it also apply to GSM tablets and devices tethered to your mobile?
There is filtering on most mobile phone data contracts in the UK. YOU CAN OPT OUT. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO OPT OUT OF THE PROPOSED FILTERS TOO. Justifications: "Children have too easy access to very hard core porn. Provide filtering, or we'll regulate you".
>YOU CAN OPT OUT. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO OPT OUT OF THE PROPOSED FILTERS TOO.
..Thereby putting your name on a list of people who like to look at $blocked_thing. Why this is problematic is left as an exercise for the reader.
Any such filtering should be OPT IN by default. Not the other way around.
Further, what data children have the ability to access is the concern of their parents, not the government.
Re: UK Porn Filter Will Censor Other Content Too, ISPs Reveal
#97Earlier quoted context omitted.
> People often dismiss out of hand the notion that tyranny could possibly take hold over the first world democracies of the west in the 21st century. And to that I can only sigh. Perhaps it will not be known as tyranny, perhaps someone will come up with a different, more apt name once, if, we are in the clutches of it, but it will be every bit as bad and every bit as difficult to throw off, if not more so. Jesus fuck…
This perfectly illustrates my point. Of course this is not full on tyranny. It's just baby steps toward something which could represent a diminution in individual liberty every bit as severe and oppressive as full-on tyranny. As I said, maybe when that day comes people will have come up with a better name for it. For now we either call it tyranny and risk people dismissing it, as you have done, or we dare not call it…
Perhaps the new tyranny should be called, "security."
Re: UK Porn Filter Will Censor Other Content Too, ISPs Reveal
#98There's no feasible way of blocking circumvention tools without causing massive collateral damage. If they block SSH tunnels for instance no sysadmin will be able to do their job. Same for VPN. A lot of people work remotely. I will laugh my ass off if they try to do that. At the same time I won't be able to access my VPS anymore :(
I don't think they care about it enough to want to go even that far, unless VPNs become totally mainstream. But you can tunnel encrypted data over anything that can carry a signal, and stuff IP datagrams inside it. This will only stop people that are "casually" looking for stuff and don't really care. Latency might suck. But if the filters become a problem, you'll start seeing VPN applications with "UK filter modes"…
I lived in China for 4 years. It's amazing how everyone there knows what a VPN is. Really, everyone.
Re: UK Porn Filter Will Censor Other Content Too, ISPs Reveal
#99Earlier quoted context omitted.
A voluntary filter is not tyranny and it's fucking disgusting to compare optional filtering of semi-random webcontent with governments who murder and torture their citizens. You are the one that made the equivalence, not the person to which you replied. Nice straw man. This UK porn filter is a step on a path. Yes, that current position is not tyranny, but it's a step on the path to it. Frogs can't be dropped into boi…
You mean frogs I assume. Pre-boiled frogs don't mind a new dip.
It's a legend anyhow, but an apt one.
Re: UK Porn Filter Will Censor Other Content Too, ISPs Reveal
#100This deserves a lot more of a response but for now I'll just leave this: Liberty is about the ability of the individual to do things that others disapprove of. You don't need liberty if everyone else approves of your actions. As a corollary, the exercise of liberty does not require a justification, because it's a liberty, practicality or "usefulness" or what-have-you play no part in it. It's onerous to require someon…
>People often dismiss out of hand the notion that tyranny could possibly take hold over the first world democracies of the west in the 21st century
I think that the two most famous tyrannies, the Nazis and the USSR, have given us a very narrow impression of how tyranny can take hold. We think, as long as there isn't a charismatic Hitler/Lenin figure agitating for revolution and preaching a radical ideology, that we're safe.
We should be concerned the about the general erosion of the republican immune system - 1. Judiciary: Laws weakening judges in favor of prosecutors, vast unfilled judge vacancies, the FISA court. 2. The Legislature: The utter contempt shown for the people's branch by the military/executive, the troubling trend of the public echoing this. 3. Worshiping the guys with rows of medals and funny hats, giving them massive political power (Keith Alexander).
EDIT: I found two relevant James Madison quotes:
"Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations"
"The accumulation of all powers, Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny. "