New UK Pornography Laws

[wells981]

I appreciate Wetset has a worldwide following but I'm sure many of your UK contributors will be concerned about today's government announcement regarding filtering by ISP's of 'pornographic' material.

In essence, ISP's will be required by law to apply 'family-friendly' filters to block pornographic sites, unless the customer specifically opts out. But there's the rub - how many of us (male or female) access some form of pornography without our partner knowing about it - I certainly do. My partner would expect me to accept the filter, after all, if we don't look at pornography why is the filter a problem and I can hardly argue against that, can I?

So I assume the filters will block sites like this one and several others I use such as ImageFAP. It's not looking too promising, is it?

[calm]

You could try telling your partner that you don't want to apply the filter because its going to block a lot of legitimate sites. For example, any type of forum which has an occasional NSFW post may be filtered out. Also sites with NSFW ads might get filtered out too(like TPB or file storage sites).

Also, the sites that are filtered aren't hand-picked, they're chosen by an algorithm; supposing you want to look up a news article or a health article that mentions sex or porn or other buzzwords, your filter may block the content.

This type of filter is designed for children, not adults. And if you have children, you should be able to block porn on a local level without going through your isp.

[Staggie]

...

Sure there'll be a way around the block using some technical trick or something... they tried to block tpb but that's easy as anything to get on. And if not then we'll just have to use a different internet connection ... go and buy yourself a usb dongle with data plan...

[Nikki]

I'd opt out of anything at all that the government set in place, no matter what it was, even if it were something I had no interest in. I have my own mind, and know exactly where I do and don't want to go. I do not need a baby sitter! (well unless she's a cute one that wants to change my wet diapers hehe)

[DeltaFoxtrot]

It is not the government's job to enforce morality standards.

[Peevert]

My partner would expect me to accept the filter, after all, if we don't look at pornography why is the filter a problem and I can hardly argue against that, can I?

Well, you could inform her that it's none of her business that you look at porn. I mean, seriously, that is an option. Although Nikki has a great point, I would reject any government filter, just as a matter of principle.

[spandexman]

Especially the US government

It is not the government's job to enforce morality standards.

Like congress, the president or many state governments follow a moral compass.

[wondering]

It's ironic that the biggest wanker in Britain is advocating stricter controls on pornography.

[Adrian6970]

It's ironic that the biggest wanker in Britain is advocating stricter controls on pornography.

I find it ironic that he's the same guy who pushed through a same sex marriage law which wasn't in his (or any other main party's manifesto) when Civil Partnerships already gave same sex couples all the important rights of marriage. A lifelong Tory up to now, I'm rapidly beginning to think Cameron's lost the plot - if he had it to begin with. From now on I think UKIP will get my vote - at least they believe in freedom.

[Apemantus]

I find it ironic that he's the same guy who pushed through a same sex marriage law which wasn't in his (or any other main party's manifesto) when Civil Partnerships already gave same sex couples all the important rights of marriage. A lifelong Tory up to now, I'm rapidly beginning to think Cameron's lost the plot - if he had it to begin with. From now on I think UKIP will get my vote - at least they believe in freedom.

Always interesting when fetishists on a forum like this turn out to be racist and homophobic...

[Adrian6970]

Always interesting when fetishists on a forum like this turn out to be racist and homophobic...

With respect I don't think there's anything homophobic about criticising a law which is unnecessary, divisive, not promised in any main party's manifesto and unlikely to give same sex couples anything meaningful that they didn't already have.

Although not a paid up member of UKIP, I've looked into it and it's certainly not a racist party. It simply believes in the good old fashioned values which most people of sense believed in forty years ago and wants a proper debate on Europe. It's 38 years since there was last a referendum on the subject and no one under the age of 56 has had a say on the matter. Labour and the Lib Dems want to close down the debate on Europe and wouldn't mind if we never had another referendum on the subject. Meanwhile the Tories have only half promised one - if they win the next General Election.

[Mr Nice Guy]

With respect I don't think there's anything homophobic about criticising a law which is unnecessary, divisive, not promised in any main party's manifesto and unlikely to give same sex couples anything meaningful that they didn't already have.

Although not a paid up member of UKIP, I've looked into it and it's certainly not a racist party. It simply believes in the good old fashioned values which most people of sense believed in forty years ago and wants a proper debate on Europe. It's 38 years since there was last a referendum on the subject and no one under the age of 56 has had a say on the matter. Labour and the Lib Dems want to close down the debate on Europe and wouldn't mind if we never had another referendum on the subject. Meanwhile the Tories have only half promised one - if they win the next General Election.

I don't mean to get too political or move away from the thread, I think it is worrying whenever for the sake of wooing voters politicians starts to take measures slowly reducing our freedom... That being said Adrian6970 what freedom are YOU talking about ? Funny enough everyday I ride home and see this massive "Stop open door EU immigration, Enough's enough" sign, freedom is not the first thing that comes to my mind. You haven't had a word in ending the war with Germany still... I would hope you are fairly content to live in a relatively peaceful country - I believe in the freedom of people travelling, working, living wherever they want especially in a country that once colonised half of the world, how about opening yourself to other cultures?

[Adrian6970]

I don't mean to get too political or move away from the thread, I think it is worrying whenever for the sake of wooing voters politicians starts to take measures slowly reducing our freedom... That being said Adrian6970 what freedom are YOU talking about ? Funny enough everyday I ride home and see this massive "Stop open door EU immigration, Enough's enough" sign, freedom is not the first thing that comes to my mind. You haven't had a word in ending the war with Germany still... I would hope you are fairly content to live in a relatively peaceful country - I believe in the freedom of people travelling, working, living wherever they want especially in a country that once colonised half of the world, how about opening yourself to other cultures?

Thanks. The war with Germany ended in 1945 and I wasn't around then so I couldn't play a part in it - although my father was a navigator with the RAF during the war years. The freedom I'm talking about is the freedom of the UK to make its own laws - and the freedom of British citizens to be unencumbered by unnecessary, useless legislation whether it emanates from Westminster or Brussels. We do have a problem with population density in what is a relatively small island and it's putting considerable strain on schools, the NHS and public services. Largely unchecked immigration isn't the whole story by any means but it is contributing to the problem. On the pooping front, the Victorian sewers in my local market town were designed to cope with the turds of a population a third of what it now is. Amazingly they cope pretty well - although the odd collapse here and there hasn't been unknown!