4 ms·

"sex scandals" That seems to be mostly an american thing. Over here in Europe hardly anyone bats an eye when the latest sex-party involving Berlusconi, Franço

by moe 12y ago

"sex scandals" That seems to be mostly an american thing. Over here in Europe hardly anyone bats an eye when the latest sex-party involving Berlusconi, François Hollande/Sarkozy etc. is revealed. People only get upset when truly dirty stuff comes out, such as the child abuse ring involving british government figures[1]. [1] http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/12/18/uk-britain-abuse-idUKKBN0JW1SO20141218 http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/12/18/uk-britain-abuse-id...

hueving 12y ago
Didn't the UK recently require people to register to be able to view porn?
- moe 12y ago
  I'm not from the UK (and may thus stand corrected) but I think this law has very little support in the general population. It seems like merely the latest fig-leaf for another increase in mass surveillance and "guided democracy", which the UK is notorious[1] for. Many people are well aware that once these filter-systems are in place, they will inevitably be used not only to suppress porn, but also to "accidentally" suppress other things[2]. There has been quite a bit of backlash[3][4], but I guess we know how these things tend to pan out... [1] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/10172298/One-surveillance-camera-for-every-11-people-in-Britain-says-CCTV-survey.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/10172298/One-surveilla... [2] https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20141208/06160229348/uk-web-filtering-blocks-access-to-website-europes-largest-oldest-hacking-community.shtml https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20141208/06160229348/uk-we... [3] http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2285176/petition-asks-uk-government-to-forget-isp-porn-filtering http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2285176/petition-as... [4] http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/thousands-sign-petition-against-uk-face-sitting-porn-ban-1479395 http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/thousands-sign-petition-against-uk-...
- 192431665 12y ago
  Not quite. Most of the big ISPs were required to add an 'adult content' filter, which yes, basically blocks porn among other things. When signing up for a new broadband connection, the box enabling this 'adult content' filter is ticked by default, meaning you have to actively untick it. ISPs are also required to contact all existing customers somehow and ask them whether or not they want the filter enabled. No laws have been passed yet to enforce ISPs to do this, just pressure from David Cameron and campaigns by the Daily Mail and 'parent' groups and stuff, although David Cameron did say if the recently implemented system was not effective enough they would have to legislate (the problem now, is whether the 4-8% takeup on all but one isp is 'effective'.)
  - m_t 12y ago
    It's not always as simple as that unfortunately. I arrived in the UK recently and got a mobile sim card with a pay-as-you-go system. When trying to view an adult content website using my mobile data connection, I arrived on that wonderful "blocked content" page. To get it removed, I could use a credit card. Oh, but not any credit card. The one I have from my country of origin wasn't valid, not even the one from my previous country of residence. I needed a UK credit card, which I didn't have yet. The only option was to go back in a store, with my passport, and say "Yes dear Sir/Madam I would like my internet with porn enabled please". It was (almost) faster to setup a vpn. Also, note that I say _adult content_, not even porn, as some website that do not contain specifically porn are blocked as well.
- lmm 12y ago
  People getting a new internet connection are required to actively choose whether they want their ISP's filtering to be applied or not. It doesn't feel like a big deal - everyone I know takes the view of "of course you opt out of the filter" and there doesn't seem to be any stigma attached to doing so. (of course that's just my friendship circle)

by moe 12y ago

hueving 12y ago

Didn't the UK recently require people to register to be able to view porn?

moe 12y ago
I'm not from the UK (and may thus stand corrected) but I think this law has very little support in the general population. It seems like merely the latest fig-leaf for another increase in mass surveillance and "guided democracy", which the UK is notorious[1] for. Many people are well aware that once these filter-systems are in place, they will inevitably be used not only to suppress porn, but also to "accidentally" suppress other things[2]. There has been quite a bit of backlash[3][4], but I guess we know how these things tend to pan out... [1] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/10172298/One-surveillance-camera-for-every-11-people-in-Britain-says-CCTV-survey.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/10172298/One-surveilla... [2] https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20141208/06160229348/uk-web-filtering-blocks-access-to-website-europes-largest-oldest-hacking-community.shtml https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20141208/06160229348/uk-we... [3] http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2285176/petition-asks-uk-government-to-forget-isp-porn-filtering http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2285176/petition-as... [4] http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/thousands-sign-petition-against-uk-face-sitting-porn-ban-1479395 http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/thousands-sign-petition-against-uk-...
192431665 12y ago
Not quite. Most of the big ISPs were required to add an 'adult content' filter, which yes, basically blocks porn among other things. When signing up for a new broadband connection, the box enabling this 'adult content' filter is ticked by default, meaning you have to actively untick it. ISPs are also required to contact all existing customers somehow and ask them whether or not they want the filter enabled. No laws have been passed yet to enforce ISPs to do this, just pressure from David Cameron and campaigns by the Daily Mail and 'parent' groups and stuff, although David Cameron did say if the recently implemented system was not effective enough they would have to legislate (the problem now, is whether the 4-8% takeup on all but one isp is 'effective'.)
- m_t 12y ago
  It's not always as simple as that unfortunately. I arrived in the UK recently and got a mobile sim card with a pay-as-you-go system. When trying to view an adult content website using my mobile data connection, I arrived on that wonderful "blocked content" page. To get it removed, I could use a credit card. Oh, but not any credit card. The one I have from my country of origin wasn't valid, not even the one from my previous country of residence. I needed a UK credit card, which I didn't have yet. The only option was to go back in a store, with my passport, and say "Yes dear Sir/Madam I would like my internet with porn enabled please". It was (almost) faster to setup a vpn. Also, note that I say _adult content_, not even porn, as some website that do not contain specifically porn are blocked as well.
lmm 12y ago
People getting a new internet connection are required to actively choose whether they want their ISP's filtering to be applied or not. It doesn't feel like a big deal - everyone I know takes the view of "of course you opt out of the filter" and there doesn't seem to be any stigma attached to doing so. (of course that's just my friendship circle)