UK Prime Minister Apparently Last To Realize New EU Net Neutrality Rules Mean No Porn Filtering

from the Cameron-noted-he-'doesn't-really-keep-up-with-the-news...' dept

The EU's new net neutrality "protections" are largely deserving of the scare quotes, what with their myriad loopholes and built-in provisions that allow ISPs to throttle/manipulate traffic to prevent "congestion" -- something that has yet to be the actual source of any ISP's "traffic $haping" efforts.

But what the rules did do is throw off David Cameron's ongoing plans for a porn-free UK. And, of course -- considering Cameron has no idea how ISP-level filters work, much less aware of numerous logical fallacies "supporting" his claims this will actually prevent porn consumption by minors -- the Prime Minister was the last to know.

During Prime Minister's Questions, Cameron said he realised the knock-on effect from the EU bill over breakfast.

"When I read my Daily Mail this morning, I sputtered over my cornflakes because we worked so hard to put in place these filters," he told fellow MPs.

The new neutrality rules forbid traffic discrimination (except when they don't; see above). Porn filtering at the ISP level is exactly that: blocking certain traffic simply because of its originating source. So much for Cameron's "voluntary*" porn-filtering scheme.

*under the threat of legislation

And now the man who reckons porn filtering will work because he says it will work has secured a temporary exception from the EU's new rules. How long it will last is unknown. In the meantime, Cameron will be working hard to legislate a UK-only neutrality loophole that will hopefully survive inspection by the EU. This unexpected dismantling of his slapped-together, officially unofficial porn ban has resulted in Cameron stepping up his push to upgrade "voluntary" filtering to "mandatory."

Cameron continued: "I can tell the House that we will legislate to put our agreement with internet companies into the law of the land so that our children will be protected."

LOL at agreement. "Do this or else" isn't an "agreement." Now, despite being previously voluntold by Cameron to make with the porn filtering, ISPs will now be legislated at by the shocked and worried Prime Minister. Presumably this effort will ultimately be successful, as voting against this would suggest the reluctant legislator(s) believe underage children should have access to porn, rather than said legislator(s) feeling the government shouldn't be in the business of deciding what forms of legal entertainment ISP subscribers can access.

Filed Under: david cameron, free speech, net neutrality, porn filters, uk