The mighty world wide web has introduced the greatest source of knowledge the world has ever seen. Nomatter where you live - nomatter what language you speak - once your computer is connected to the web you have the ability to research every subject known to mankind.
Now we have the prospect of a ban to reject any material that " has been refused classification ".
Refused classification by whom ? Presumably the government !
It sounds very reasonable. The objective is to remove offensive materials - and that includes " child sexual abuse, bestiality, sexual violence and instruction in crime and drug use " - all of which most people would agree.
The only problem is the matter of " interpretation ". It is suggested that these bans would be implemented by an " independent body - at arms length from the government ".
How often have we heard that claim ? The people appointed to such organizations get a fat fee and it is natural for governments to reward those who provide political support with " jobs for the boys and girls ". In return, the appointees tend to follow the governments wishes.
We have an example of censorship affecting the web. In China, the censor dictates what you can see - and what you can research. As a result, any form of political dissent is promptly expunged. Do we want that here ?
Lack of censorship brings both rewards - and risks. It may be better to put up with a degree of offensive material rather than run the risk of an over zealous censor giving way to government control of what we see and hear.
And the government should realise that human ingenuity is very good at surpassing control measures. Remember when the Communist block tried to jam Radio Free Europe broadcasts to it's satellites ?
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