Internet Content Censorship In Europe

August 13th, 2007

Swedish newspaper DN reported last Friday that Internet providers in Sweden and Denmark are currently blocking sites with child pornogrpahy, and Google Germany blocks Nazi websites. The greater fear, though, lies in the possibility of widespread censorship of the Internet by EU lawmakers.

Franco Frattini, the European Commissioner for Justice, wants to all block sites that show how to build bombs, and five EU parliamentarians have called for a resolution which would make Internet providers responsible for stopping the spread of racism online.

While none of the subjects being censored deserve a place on the Internet, censorship is rarely the best way to deal with the problem. Just like prohibition does not stop people from gambling or drinking alcohol, trying to censor content online will not stop it from appearing. Instead, the deviant minds that choose to bring such content will just find ways to work round the censors.

The right solution for problems such as this is to implement better traceability and bring the perpetrators to justice by prosecuting them for posting such inflamatory / illegal content on the Internet in the first place.

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