DTI review of Internet Watch

[Campaign Against Censorship of the Internet]

NOT CRYPTO

This press release describes the DTI press conference today which
announced a review of Internet Watch Foundation. But for the 
DTI/Barbara Roche connection it's off-topic here - sorry if you don't 
want it; I'll shut up now.

Malcolm.
=================================================

Date: 3rd March 1998

Press Release: For Immediate Release


MINISTER CONSIDERS CONTROLS ON "LEGAL BUT HARMFUL" INTERNET
PUBLICATIONS

LONDON: DTI Minister Barbara Roche today announced a review to 
consider controlling Internet publications that contain legal adult
erotica or racism. Speaking at a conference to report on the first
year of operation of the Internet Watch Foundation she said that said
the review would expand the organisation's remit.

"The government is not complacent about legal but harmful material"
she said. The review would set future goals and priorities which would
include strategies
 to combat:

* Adult pornography
* Breach of copyright
* Racism
and
* "ways to protect Internet users from legal but harmful material"


MINISTERS WELCOME PROSECUTIONS BUT SIGNAL PRIOR RESTRAINT

Internet Watch produced a report of its first year of operations which
was praised by Ministers. Internet Watch runs a hotline for the
reporting of child pornography on the Internet, which it then seeks to
have removed. As a result, several prosecutions have occurred in the
UK despite most such material originating abroad.

Home Office Minister Lord Williams had a different viewpoint: "Of
course, every prosecution is in a sense a failure of regulation"

Campaign Against Censorship of the Internet in Britain spokesman
Malcolm Hutty
 saw this as a threatening position to take. "The only thing Lord
 Williams 
could want that didn't depend on prosecutions is a system of prior
restraint. This is a serious threat to implement a censorship
infrastructure."


CONTENT RATING AND FILTERING UNVEILED

David Kerr, CEO of Internet Watch, announced proposals for a content
rating and filtering system. Such systems are usually employed by
individual users to
 prevent children using their computer from seeing pornographic
 images. Mr 
Kerr said "this system would not prevent adults from seeing legal
material".

However when Barbara Roche was invited to endorse such a requirement
to allow adults unrestricted access to legal material she refused.
"What is important is ensuring parents can control their childrens'
Internet use. That I am committed to." she replied.

Ms Roche also refused to exempt any legal material from the review on
the grounds of free speech. "I would not want to prejudge the review"
she said. With such an open remit it is likely that civil servants
will suggest sweeping restrictions.

DTI sources said that content rating and filtering mechanisms would
probably form a key part of any proposals to regulate "legal but
harmful" material.

Campaign spokesman Malcolm Hutty commented:

 "This conference has three important parts:

* A planned huge expansion of Internet Watch's role as a censor - from 
focusing  almost exlusively on child pornography to possibly
regulating everything the Minister deems harmful

* Development of ratings and filtering systems. Despite the appearance of a 
system which aids parental choice these could be abused by governments
to enforce a censorship regieme.

* Lord William's apparent appetite for prior restraint systems. This could 
combine with the ratings proposals into a vehicle for totalitarian
censorship, with Internet Watch as the censor.

Anyone interested in protecting freedom of speech on the Internet
should write to the DTI and say that we don't want IWF as a censor, we
don't want government-sponsored content rating schemes and we
certainly don't want any regulation of legal material."


ENDS

========================
Notes to Editors

Campaign Against Censorship of the Internet in Britain
Web: http://www.liberty.org.uk/cacib/
E-mail: cacib@liberty.org.uk
Phone: 0171 589 4500








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Campaign Against Censorship                    Tel: 0171 589 4500
of the Internet in Britain                     Fax: 0171 589 4522
                                     e-mail: cacib@liberty.org.uk
Say NO to Censorship         Web: http://www.liberty.org.uk/cacib