France The Latest Country To Approve Internet Censorship

from the head-in-sand dept

It appears that France is the latest country to approve plans to censor the internet. The excuse is pretty much the same as Russia's: focus on child pornography first, but leave out the fact that the same rules can be used to censor any content the government doesn't like. We've discussed this many times before: "filtering" content on the internet doesn't actually get rid of that content. It's just a tool for government control. In the case of things like child pornography, blocking those sites doesn't help anyone. It doesn't stop those involved in child pornography. If these governments were serious about taking on child pornography, they'd actually go after the child pornographers rather than trying to hide their sites. These laws are about one thing and one thing only: getting more control over the internet for the sake of censorship. They all focus on child pornography because that makes it easy.
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Filed Under: censorship, france, internet


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  • icon
    The eejit (profile), 14 Feb 2011 @ 4:12am

    Ah, the Moral Outrage method of censorship.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Annon, 14 Feb 2011 @ 4:44am

    Stupid People

    Will the general public ever understand that censorship helps no one?
    What disgusts me the most is how whenever politicians want to pass legislation that everyone KNOWS is an act of censorship to keep the public under control, they mask it under the guise of "protecting the children" or "fighting child pornography".

    Honestly, at this point, I agree with the notion that using "protect the children" as an excuse to do anything is the worst possible reason and usually means something terrible is behind it all.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 14 Feb 2011 @ 5:08am

      Re: Stupid People

      But... but INFRINGE... Uh... I mean the children.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      btr1701 (profile), 15 Feb 2011 @ 12:41pm

      Re: Stupid People

      > I agree with the notion that using "protect
      > the children" as an excuse to do anything is
      > the worst possible reason and usually means
      > something terrible is behind it all.

      Yep. Whenever I hear "protect the children", I reach for either my wallet or my gun because it means someone's about to try take either my money or my freedom (or both).

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Lisae Boucher (profile), 14 Feb 2011 @ 5:01am

    About child porn...

    In the fight against child porn, all is permitted. Especially if it gives governments the chance to hide other things that could be harmful for their re-elections...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Rich Kulawiec, 14 Feb 2011 @ 5:08am

    The familiar beating of the "for the chillllldrrrrennnn" drum

    The first, last, and best refuge of censors.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Planespotter (profile), 14 Feb 2011 @ 5:20am

    lol, we really need to get some tech savy people in Government, these idiots haven't a clue!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Berenerd (profile), 14 Feb 2011 @ 5:32am

      Re:

      DH for President in 2012!!!!

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Dark Helmet (profile), 14 Feb 2011 @ 6:41am

        Re: Re:

        "DH for President in 2012!!!!"

        Heh, I'm MARGINALLY tech-savvy at best....

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          Berenerd (profile), 14 Feb 2011 @ 7:42am

          Re: Re: Re:

          yes but I can be your "adviser". between you and me I WILL BRING PEACE TO MY NEW EMPIRE!!


          Err...ummm...I mean...our new government....

          link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 14 Feb 2011 @ 6:24am

      Re:

      Seems like they know exactly what they're doing. Doesn't mean they need to understand how a tool works to keep it out of the publics hand.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 15 Feb 2011 @ 7:43am

        Re: Re:

        If it was about keeping tools out of the publics hands you would of been locked-up years ago TAM-Lying-Hpyocrite.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    MAC, 14 Feb 2011 @ 5:27am

    Censorship based on child porn...

    The road to hell is paved with the souls of those who had 'good intentions'.

    Go after the pornographers, call them what they are, child molesters and put them in prison. Prisoners don't like child molesters. Let them all know what they are.

    They won't last long...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    big al, 14 Feb 2011 @ 5:28am

    censor whom???

    hummmmm....

    well if the "three strike folks" have their way,france won't have anyone to censor....

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Feb 2011 @ 5:30am

    but... but... CENSORSHIP!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Shon Gale (profile), 14 Feb 2011 @ 5:39am

    You're correct France has become just like Russia, a socialist nightmare. Sarkozy sucks big ones. In fact screw the whole continent. Who needs them? They produce nothing.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 14 Feb 2011 @ 7:44am

      Re:

      Socialism is just the end result of trying to give the people what they want, all the time, no matter what. Any group calls for something, you give in. You create all sorts of social safety nets, all sorts of nanny state support systems, and then stand back and wait for your economy to grind to a halt.

      Considering how much of a socialist state France is, the whole Hadopi thing is from right field. For the most part, they should be more like Spain, allowing their citizens to enjoy the bounty that others create.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    codeslave (profile), 14 Feb 2011 @ 6:07am

    The Four Horsemen

    It's trivial to get laws like this if you invoke one of the Four Horsemen of the Infocalypse, especially the "Think of the Children" one. Same reason why discussions of implementing Internet kill switches always focus on terrorists (and not political unrest, the only time anything like that has actually been used), and the media industry tries to tie copyright infringement to organized crime or to conflate it with counterfeiting.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Chuck (profile), 14 Feb 2011 @ 6:17am

    Canada

    has always had child pornography filters. I personally find nothing wrong with it assuming they word it right. And they must word it right. Will no one reductio ad absurdum the freaking law?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Skeptical Cynic (profile), 14 Feb 2011 @ 6:27am

    It's all about power

    Any government no matter how well conceived or designed always seeks to get more and more power.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Jeff, 14 Feb 2011 @ 6:48am

    Good

    It is the responsibility of the governing bodies of our nations to protect it's constituents. There is little point in having a law to prevent illegal material from being published if we don't have a legal mechanism to enforce the law.
    Not all publishers of illegal material can be so easily apprehended. I wouldn't want a world where the police can't shut down a crack-house without first having to apprehend the owner.
    The paranoid, anti-establishment, outraged masses who scream for freedom of "their internet" are no less destructive than the paranoid moralists who scream to control it.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      teka (profile), 14 Feb 2011 @ 7:01am

      Re: Good

      That's right, i wasn't doing anything with those rights anyhow.

      And if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear!

      I wouldn't want a world where the police can't shut down a crack-house without first having to apprehend the owner.


      The comparison you are looking for is

      "I wouldn't want a world where the police have to follow due process to enforce the law. I think they should be able to shut down that crack house, my neighbor's house, even my house as long as they promise that they are 'helping the children' or 'fighting terrorists'. I am sure they will never Use all of these powers, right?"

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Dave, 14 Feb 2011 @ 7:08am

      Re: Good

      The problem is, they're not "shutting down the crack-house". They're painting it so it's invisible. Which isn't stopping the people who know it's there.

      Net effect: The government is creating a hiding place for people it "claims" it is trying to stop.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      btr1701 (profile), 15 Feb 2011 @ 12:45pm

      Re: Good

      > There is little point in having a law to
      > prevent illegal material from being published
      > if we don't have a legal mechanism to enforce
      > the law.

      I've said the same thing about immigration laws for years. Why have them if no one is going to enforce them? If only the government were as zealous there as they are about copyright.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Kevin (profile), 14 Feb 2011 @ 8:18am

    "And I Quote"

    "So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause"

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Feb 2011 @ 8:22am

    If law enforcement would do its job and catch these criminals then we wouldn't need a million censorship laws that don't work.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Kevin (profile), 14 Feb 2011 @ 8:28am

      Re:

      With all of this censorship driving these criminals farther and farther underground, it is getting harder and harder to catch them.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      TDR, 14 Feb 2011 @ 9:13am

      Re:

      Problem is, many of the ones pushing for the filters are likely partaking of the very crime they say they want to stop. As Mike said, if they really wanted to stop it, they'd go to the source. But they don't. Only one real reason for that. Law enforcement would be likely arresting their own superiors if they were really allowed to track this stuff to the source, but they're not.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Feb 2011 @ 10:46am

    "These laws are about one thing and one thing only: getting more control over the internet for the sake of censorship."

    Any one else getting a little tired of the Chicken Little act?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 14 Feb 2011 @ 11:42am

      Re:

      If by chicken little act you mean the "think of the children" magic wand then yes I am sick and tire of this salem-witch-hunt that is used to grab power and disguise bad things they want to do.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 14 Feb 2011 @ 12:50pm

      Re:

      It's only a Chicken Little act when it doesn't come true.

      Given all the precedent, odds of this being used for other censorship acts is...oh, 100%.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 14 Feb 2011 @ 2:22pm

      Re:

      It's sort of the techno-panic concept at work.

      "But... but... Censorship!"

      It's funny as heck when all their hand ringing just leaves them with sore hands.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous, 14 Feb 2011 @ 4:05pm

      Re:

      yeah, at this point Masnick should just start posting these as "Today's FUD".

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 15 Feb 2011 @ 7:55am

      Re:

      Hi TAM! Still got that poster of Mike on your wall?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    SHAWN CULLEN, 6 Mar 2011 @ 7:47pm

    child porn revelation

    http://wwwthegreatfinalreport.blogspot.com/2011/02/paramount-report-2011-great-final.html

    IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT CHILD PORN THEN CHECK OUT ADDRESS AND TELL OTHERS

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    shawn cullen, 6 Mar 2011 @ 7:49pm

    child porn revelation

    http://wwwthegreatfinalreport.blogspot.com/2011/02/paramount-report-2011-great-final.html

    IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT CHILD PORN THEN CHECK OUT ADDRESS AND TELL OTHERS

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    shawn cullen, 6 Mar 2011 @ 7:51pm

    child porn revelation

    http://wwwthegreatfinalreport.blogspot.com/2011/02/paramount-report-2011-great-final.html

    IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT CHILD PORN THEN CHECK OUT ADDRESS AND (((-TELL OTHERS-)))

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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