Web users in the UK will be banned from accessing websites portraying a range of non-conventional sexual acts, under a little-discussed clause to a government bill currently going through parliament.
The Guardian: UK to censor online videos of ‘non-conventional’ sex acts »
For Swedish followers: 5th July podcast #4 on Snowden, Tor, Search Engine Manipulation and some smut.
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With a public consultation, the British government now is one step closer to demanding age verification at internet porn sites.
This is a bad idea in itself. But what makes it even worse is that it will make anonymous porn surfing impossible (at least for the not so tech-enlightened).
BBC: Government launches porn site age checks consultation »
First of all, is it at all wise to ban people under the age of 18 from watching porn online? After all, they are allowed to enjoy sexual activities from the age of 16. But they shouldn’t be allowed to see depictions of other people fucking? Really?
Second, there is a strong case for anonymous porn surfing: Many people might want to explore alternatives to heterosexual missionary position sex. But they might not want the government, the ISP:s, the credit card companies or the site owners to know about it. And rightly so. People have a right to sexual privacy.
My third objection is about security. One of the options in the consultation is that people should have to check in to porn sites (even free porn sites) by using their credit card. Thus exposing themselves to obvious risks. This way porn sites (real ones, that can be hacked and fake ones, set up for skimming) will become a very popular tool for credit card fraud.
The whole project will become a morass of unintended and unwanted consequences.
/ HAX
The UK is about to “shut down hardcore pornography websites that don’t put in place age-restriction controls”. The purpose is said to be to protect children from being exposed to pornography.
As a consequence, anonymous porn surfing will become impossible. This is bad, in many ways.
Porn surfing on the net is a way for many people to explore their sexuality and to learn more about non-mainstream sex. Not being able to do this anonymously will keep some people away. Maybe most people.
Keeping people away from anonymous surfing on esoteric porn sites may also have other, unintended consequences. If people are deterred from fulfilling their sexual fantasies online, they might move to other ways and places. Like your lokal park.
But what about the children? Well, I think they should be aware of sexuality, being ready to embrace it when that day comes. And it is moronic to believe that you can keep young people away from porn. All you may accomplish is to make “forbidden fruit” even more thrilling for them.
My guess is that the British Conservatives are just using children as a pretext for antiquated moral dominance. (Which seems a bit kinky to me.)
/ HAX
Links:
• Porn Websites Without Age Verification To Be Shut Down, Sajid Javid Pledges »
• Are a Tenth of the UK’s 12-Year-Olds Really ‘Addicted’ to Porn? »
