International Law

Censoring your social networks

The Times Online has a disturbing report on a new form internet censorship being proposed in the UK:

Social networking sites will be required to remove material unsuitable for children, such as nude or violent images and comments, within 24 hours of receiving a complaint, under a tough new code for internet safety.

The Byron Review on e-safety, published yesterday, also recommends that search engines such as Google and Yahoo display a ?safe search? button prominently on their home page, to filter out potentially harmful material when children search the web.

The report, by the clinical psychologist and writer Tanya Byron, also recommends that websites promoting suicide be closed, using existing laws on assisted suicide. Those that promote self-harm and eating disorders should also come under greater legal scrutiny.

Dr Byron, a mother of two, said yesterday: ?Many parents seem to believe that when their child is online it is similar to them watching television. In fact it is more like opening the front door and letting your child go outside to play unsupervised.?

Read more here.

Full post as published by Freedom to Differ on April 01, 2008 (boomark / email).