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More on European Censorship
> _________________________________________________________________
> webslingerZ
> _________________________________________________________________
> EU TO ACT AGAINST INTERNET CHILD EXPLOITATION
> __________________________________________________________________________
> Copyright © 1996 Nando.net
> Copyright © 1996 Reuter Information Service
> BRUSSELS (Sep 29, 1996 00:12 a.m. EDT) - European Union
> telecommunications ministers, reacting to a child-sex scandal in
> Belgium, pledged Friday to consider ways to keep illegal material that
> could harm children off the Internet.
> Belgian Telecommunications Minister Elio Di Rupo announced that his
> government planned to implement new measures requiring Internet access
> providers to monitor and report material featuring sexual abuse or
> exploitation of children.
> He asked his colleagues to join forces with him.
> "Today a big legal vacuum exists, for legislation is falling behind
> technological evolution," he said, according to a speaking note that
> was distributed to reporters.
> "There is a big risk that it will create an enormous market of
> children fed on by criminals."
Market? Wider distribution of such pictures will lead to _decreased_
production, for the simple reason that the producers won't be able to go to
courts for stopping copyright violations, so they can't make any money.
> The ministers agreed to expand a working party that has already been
> set up to look at the question of illegal material on the Internet and
> asked it to come up with concrete proposals before they meet again in
> November.
> The group will include representatives of the 15 EU telecoms
> ministries and of companies that provide access to online services or
> prepare the content, a statement adopted by the ministers said.
[...]
> But some of the telecoms ministers, including those from Britain and
> Sweden, warned that the EU could not wander into censorship and had to
> focus on fighting truly illegal material.
> British Science and Technology Minister Ian Taylor advocated a
> self-regulatory system that was announced in his country earlier this
> week.
> Two British trade associations announced that an independent body, the
> Safety Net Foundation, would be established to rate material carried
> on the Internet and to set up a "hotline" service to receive
> complaints about illegal material.
> They said Internet service providers would also adopt policies for
> removing illegal material and reducing the scope for subscribers to
> act with untraceable anonymity.
I suspect that any anonymous remailers operating in Britain may want
to look out for ISP interruptions...
> Swedish Communications Minister Ines Uusmann told reporters that EU
> countries needed to exchange ideas and to speak with one voice in
> tackling a global problem.
[...]
> Copyright © 1996 Nando.net