UK MP Requests Feedback from Public Over Website Ratings Idea

While it’s something occurring in Britain, it also could affect talks between Britain and the United States too.

Controversy erupted yesterday over a plan to classify internet websites in an effort to supposedly “save the children”. Now, Open Rights Group is pointing out that a British MP is now seeking feedback on the proposal. Since Britain is already negotiating with the Obama administration over bringing the idea to the United States as well, it will likely be of interest to American internet users as well.

While it seems rather odd that an MP who admits that internet policy is not his speciality is in charge of public feedback, at least someone is trying to limit the damage done by the ‘negotiate with other countries first, ask questions later’ style of legislating. As of this writing, the MP has already received 115 comments so far on the subject. Open Rights Group requests that users be polite when offering their thoughts on the matter.

We here at ZeroPaid have already already commented on why the internet should not be considered as little more than a ‘broadcaster’, but it’s worth pointing out again that the internet is so dynamic and expansive, it would really be an unworkable plan to begin with.

In effect, even if there is mandatory filtering, under such a system, it would punish more honest website administrators and award the less than honest website administrators. Even when one narrows it down to just filtering all that filthy porn from the computer screens of a younger audience, a) some porn is marketed towards people who are under 18 thus discouraging administrators from using a ratings system that would block minors altogether from their websites, b) countless websites are located outside of Britain (and the United States for that matter), thus showing that there would always be numerous administrators who would not be aware of such a system in the first place and c) todays younger generation is much more tech savvy then that of a younger generation 40 years ago. If they well and truly want to look at such content, they will more than likely find ways of circumventing pretty much any system they want to defeat (in a similar fashion to that of how the hundreds of different iterations of Digital Rights Management always failed to “protect” content from being copied) The most well known example is how a 16 year old in Australia cracked the governments $84 million dollar porn filter in 2007. In short, when one grows up with the technology, chances are, they will know much more about it to begin with and have a better chance at getting around supposed road blocks a government or company throws at them.

So really, it should be up to parents to control what their children see on the internet. Technology that regulates what a child sees already exists (some anti-virus companies bundle this sort of technology with their anti-virus programs). If parents are concerned, they can install such software on their own computers. If a government tries to take the parental roll and create a blanket system for the entire internet and for every user, it’s doomed to failure due to the sheer size of a task it’s attempting.