
British government porn filters block EFF, Linux, Amnesty and more - paullik
http://www.tgdaily.com/security-brief/83701-british-government-porn-filters-block-tech-sites
======
PhasmaFelis
This is completely false. The author of the original article
([http://bsdly.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/the-uk-porn-filter-
block...](http://bsdly.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/the-uk-porn-filter-blocks-kids-
access.html)), Peter N. M. Hansteen, confused one ISP's opt-in parental
whitelist with the UK's national opt-out blacklist. When informed of his
error, he did not correct it but just added an update at the bottom ranting
about opt-in parental filters, so sites like TGDaily and TechEye are still
reading the first few pages and perpetuating the falsehood.

This makes opponents of UK censorship look like clueless idiots and hurts the
entire cause. Nice job, Peter Hansteen.

~~~
GunlogAlm
This confusion has occurred often in recent weeks. Many non-Brits mistakenly
believe this is the government filter when in reality it's an ISP's (most
recently BT).

------
mistakoala
How does such cuntery based on paper-thin fact-checking and high doses of
bullshit get anywhere near HN?

I'm more disappointed in HN readers than the bell-end who wrote this crap.

Outrage-fuelled stuff like this makes me angry because such mendacious
behaviour makes a mockery of serious concerns about /actual/ censorship and
the activities of the state in controlling the Internet. The author shouldn't
be allowed anywhere near a keyboard.

------
greenyoda
This has already been extensively discussed here:

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6979023](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6979023)
(144 points, 71 comments)

~~~
gjm11
And, to summarize the single most important point made there:

No, this is not the UK government's "porn filter", because (1) no such thing
actually exists yet and (2) this isn't the same sort of thing as that would be
if it did exist -- it's one ISP's opt-in whitelist offered to people who want
a way to keep their children "safe".

(I am not defending such whitelists, by the way. But even if there is some day
a Great UK Adult Content Filter, this is not what it will be.)

------
quantumpotato_
Can anyone in the UK verify this?

~~~
romanovcode
Only new ISP clients have these filters enabled. Old clients have them
disabled by default, for now.

I doubt that you'll find someone who can confirm so easy.

~~~
verandaguy
Would it then be possible for someone with a new Internet hookup in the UK to
confirm/disconfirm this?

~~~
Pezmc
Can confirm this article as correct:
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25430582](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25430582)

Am able (on Sky) to access all the sites mentioned on this article.

I do however, strongly disagree with the sentiment that this filter is "Just
another attempt by the Tories to prevent people finding out information." It's
not, it's just a very poorly implemented filter by the ISP's that can be
'hacked' with a simple proxy.

We had to deal with this kind of filtering many years ago back at school,
where even the word 'mobile' was filtered.

------
notastartup
How do British folks feel about this? I mean if they tried to pull shit like
this in Canada, people would flip, burn down the parliament building.

~~~
GunlogAlm
If you mean the filter: most of the support is from Conservative voters,
especially the older voters and parents. Labour and the Conservatives support
it, I think many Lib Dems oppose it.

A few years ago I would have said the same thing - "If they did this here,
Brits would go mad!" \- I think everyone wants to believe that about their
country, but when it comes to it people are surprisingly accepting.

Also, it's worth noting this article is wrong: no government filter in the UK
is in place yet, this was an ISP's own filter.

~~~
mistakoala
I think the spread of support is less clear. I vaguely recall some survey a
few months back that posed a carefully-phrased question along the lines of
"ISPs should do more to control what children see online (agree/ disagree)"
and the support from Guardian readers was clearly in favour (can't rememeber
the percentage).

There's a split in the Conservative party about infantilising adults - you
just have to read ConservativeHome to see that. I would go as far to say that
a majority of activists dislike what Cameron is being seen to do with the
ISPs.

Contrast his current actions with his words several years ago: [http://order-
order.com/2007/11/24/cameron-we-are-libertarian...](http://order-
order.com/2007/11/24/cameron-we-are-libertarians/)

I feel he's dangerous because he doesn't espouse an ideology. He doesn't offer
a sense of where he wants to take the country - just wherever the newspaper
headlines will take him. It might most kindly be described as a misguided
sense of noblesse oblige.

