BBC 'vague' reporting again!

[James Firth]

PeteM wrote:
> The most frightening passage, for two reasons, is: "In particular the
> strategy aims to tackle the trade in images of children being sexually
> abused. In a statement outlining the strategy the EU claimed "half of
> all internet crime involves the production, distribution and sale of
> child pornography". " Firstly, anyone who really believes this can't be
> trusted even to straighten bananas and fill cheese lakes, let alone
> create a transcontinental secret police force. Second, it means that
> nobody will dare to object to their proposals, since that would be
> tantamount to confessing you're a practising paedophile.

Let's not forget that this is how the infrastructure for internet censorship
in the UK has already been laid.  BT created a system to protect against
child abuse, no-one dare argue against something which strives to do some
good.  Government lobbied for the system to be rolled out to all ISPs.  

Jacqui Smith then announces she wants terrorist websites closed down:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jan/17/uksecurity.terrorism
On the threat from the internet, Smith said the government was already
working closely with the communications industry to take action against
paedophiles, and planned to target extremist websites in the same way.
"Where there is illegal material on the net, I want it removed," she said.

This of course could be done using the mechanism in place.

What next? Websites of prominent opposition MPs to be blocked? Wikileaks?

If half of internet crime does involve child pornography then either record
companies are lying about the threat from online copyright infringement or
my mind shudders to comprehend what society has come to.

James Firth