America bids to become net watchdog

[Charean]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2299259.stm

This talks about the US taking over the Internet and doing all the censoring/uncensoring they deem fit.

I am against this - I believe the Internet should remain unfettered by any country's censoring. I also believe that to restrict the flow of information would be detrimental to all of us.

Sort of along the lines of: I may not agree with what you say, but I will fight for your right to say it.

Comments?

[Neb]

Oh yeah, just great. Now anyone who bashes the US or their president will probably be sued. And being "unpatriotic" will result in a group of black-clad men knocking on your door in the middle of the night and dragging you off.

No country should own the Web. And no single agency should do the censoring. For despite many countries proclaiming that they have "freedom of speech" and "freedom of press" they really aren't that horribly free.....

[Charean]

Don't worry Neb, the chances of this being passed are nil and none. It is not enforceable.

[/)eathKiller]

Wow that sound almost... like a Dictatorship [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

[Ronn_Bman]

If you'll read the article, it doesn't say the US will censor anything. Nor would the US be able to turn off anyone's internet service. The proposal is for the US to develope software that would stop the censorship of internet content.

Being against the idea is ok, but you need to read the article...lol.

While stopping the censorship that some governments impose on their populations, it does make good points against forcing things, which are culturally unacceptable, on people. Although no one would be forcing anyone to look.

The other interesting point is that those with malicious intent could use the technology.

[Sigmar]

Personally I believe it save a lot of hassle to make one country responsible for the web and it's going ons. Securtity wise things will probably improve [img]smile.gif[/img]

Neb-If you believe in what you say than you realise that similar action would probably be taken against other people who post antisociable remarks about other governments aside from that of the US.

I do hope all those funny sketches making fun of the various politicians aren't banned though

[Charean]

I read the article. What it was saying is that we would be Big Brother. I don't think that is our responsibility. Whatever our ideas are, we should not force them on others.

[Ronn_Bman]

Originally posted by Charean: I read the article. What it was saying is that we would be Big Brother. I don't think that is our responsibility. Whatever our ideas are, we should not force them on others.

I agree, but it isn't quite Big Brother stuff. We wouldn't be picking and choosing what everyone could see, we would be removing restrictions imposed by others.

It wouldn't put the whole internet under US control, either. The US would create software to stop censorship. That's the whole proposal.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm not sure it's a good idea, but the idea isn't the US being the sole governing force of the internet.

[Charean]

"Under the bill the US would develop what is called anti-censor software, monitor state censorship of the net and seek to prevent people in other countries who get round this censorship from being prosecuted."

How on earth could we do this? We wouldn't be respecting other country's sovereignty.

[Ronn_Bman]

Originally posted by Charean: "Under the bill the US would develop what is called anti-censor software, monitor state censorship of the net and seek to prevent people in other countries who get round this censorship from being prosecuted." How on earth could we do this? We wouldn't be respecting other country's sovereignty.

The whole idea of the internet is the exchange of data and information. Shouldn't people be free to choose?

It wouldn't force anyone to look at naked pictures or read materials against their government or find ideas contrary to their religious beliefs.

I mean, Al Gore invented the internet...how bad can the uncensored version be...LOL [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]