British MP Andy Burnham plans to work with Obama administration to establish internat

[stephanie]

enjoy your freedoms while you still have them..:cheers2:

From correspondents in London
Reuters
December 27, 2008 09:35pm

Wants international rules for English language sites
Says they could be rated like films
THE ratings used for films could be applied to websites in a bid to better police the internet and protect children from harmful and offensive material, Britain's minister for culture has said.

Andy Burnham told Britain's The Daily Telegraph newspaper the government was planning to negotiate with the administration of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama to draw up new international rules for English language websites.

"The more we seek international solutions to this stuff - the UK and the U.S. working together - the more that an international norm will set an industry norm," the newspaper reports the Culture Secretary as saying.

Giving websites film-style ratings would be one possibilty.

"This is an area that is really now coming into full focus," Mr Burnham said.

Internet service providers could also be forced to offer services where the only sites accessible are those deemed suitable for children, the paper said.


The highest rating would be M15+ and everything suitable for anybody older than 15 can be outlawed. That seems to have worked for video games. Why not the internet....

Any moves to censor the internet would go to the heart of a debate about freedom of speech on the World Wide Web.

"If you look back at the people who created the internet they talked very deliberately about creating a space that governments couldn't reach," Burnham told The Daily Telegraph. "I think we are having to revisit that stuff seriously now."

He said some content should not be available to be viewed.

"This is not a campaign against free speech, far from it; it is simply there is a wider public interest at stake when it involves harm to other people. We have got to get better at defining where the public interest lies and being clear about it."

read the rest and comments..
http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,28348,24849280-5014108,00.html

[namvet]

shut off Muslim TV - that's the most offensive

[5stringJeff]

Screw that. The government has no business assigning ratings to websites. It would only stifle free speech.

[Kathianne]

Screw that. The government has no business assigning ratings to websites. It would only stifle free speech.

Agree and tried to rep! No how, no way!

[Yurt]

what the barmy blimey bloody fackle are these daft aggro makers bollocksing about any road?

[emmett]

What he said!

[Immanuel]

what the barmy blimey bloody fackle are these daft aggro makers bollocksing about any road?


What he said!

Okay Emmett, can you put it in English, please?

I have no problem with a rating system such as they have for TV, games or music for websites. Personally, I like the idea. People who do not want to use the system can ignore it, but people who have young children might be able to block out porn sites using the browsers security system and protect their young children. Allowing passwords would even let the adults enter sites that they might not want their children browsing without supervision.

This would not affect anyone except for people who want to protect their children.

What, pray tell, is the problem with that?

Immie

[Gaffer]

Okay Emmett, can you put it in English, please?

I have no problem with a rating system such as they have for TV, games or music for websites. Personally, I like the idea. People who do not want to use the system can ignore it, but people who have young children might be able to block out porn sites using the browsers security system and protect their young children. Allowing passwords would even let the adults enter sites that they might not want their children browsing without supervision.

This would not affect anyone except for people who want to protect their children.

What, pray tell, is the problem with that?

Immie

There are already tons of programs that can be used to restrict viewing on your computer. It's just a matter of the parent installing the filter and monitoring what their kids look at. There is no need of government nanny programs telling us what we can and cannot watch. It's called parental responsibility. Just like knowing where your kids are and what they are doing when they are out of the house.

[Immanuel]

There are already tons of programs that can be used to restrict viewing on your computer. It's just a matter of the parent installing the filter and monitoring what their kids look at. There is no need of government nanny programs telling us what we can and cannot watch. It's called parental responsibility. Just like knowing where your kids are and what they are doing when they are out of the house.

How is providing information regarding the contents of a website, "telling us what we can and cannot watch"? When you buy a DVD and it says "MA - Mature Audience" does the government interfere with your ability to watch it? Does the government even interfere with a 13 year old buying and watching the video?

I realize movie theaters prevent children younger that 18 from watching a R-rated movie, but Walmart will sell and R-rated DVD to that same child.

Providing information about a website does nothing to prevent someone from entering the website. It can, however, be a very valuable tool to helping parents identify and preventing sites they do not want their children to have access to.

Immie

[5stringJeff]

Immie, those are not governmental rating systems, nor are there laws against selling games/movies to those who are under the recommended age.

I don't have a problem with a voluntary rating system. I have a major problem with a government-imposed rating system.

[Immanuel]

Immie, those are not governmental rating systems, nor are there laws against selling games/movies to those who are under the recommended age.

I don't have a problem with a voluntary rating system. I have a major problem with a government-imposed rating system.

Perhaps I am missing something? I don't see where the government will do anything except require that sites be rated. I don't see a problem with any of that as long as the government does not interfere with access to the sites.

Immie

[5stringJeff]

Perhaps I am missing something? I don't see where the government will do anything except require that sites be rated. I don't see a problem with any of that as long as the government does not interfere with access to the sites.

Immie

So the government requires that sites are rated.

Who rates them? The government? That's another government agency, supported by your tax dollars.

How many regulations go along with the rating? That's more manhours wasted filling government mandates, which means less money for the website owner.

And who's to say that, at some date in the future, ratings wouldn't be used to filter access? If you give the government an inch, they will never give it back.

[Immanuel]

So the government requires that sites are rated.

Who rates them? The government? That's another government agency, supported by your tax dollars.

How many regulations go along with the rating? That's more manhours wasted filling government mandates, which means less money for the website owner.

And who's to say that, at some date in the future, ratings wouldn't be used to filter access? If you give the government an inch, they will never give it back.

Who rates movies? I do not believe it is a government agency. I believe it is the industry. Therefore, no tax dollars are spent on rating movies. I would expect the same for the internet... say Google or like site?

Are there regulations with the movie ratings except for children under 18 not being able to go to R-rated movies?

If additional regulations enter the picture at some future date then we deal with them at that time.

Immie

[namvet]

Who rates movies? I do not believe it is a government agency. I believe it is the industry. Therefore, no tax dollars are spent on rating movies. I would expect the same for the internet... say Google or like site?

Are there regulations with the movie ratings except for children under 18 not being able to go to R-rated movies?

If additional regulations enter the picture at some future date then we deal with them at that time.

Immie

movies??? why go there. kids watch X rated on cable. or dad's PC:laugh2:

[Immanuel]

movies??? why go there. kids watch X rated on cable. or dad's PC:laugh2:

Exactly, the rating system is only for informational purposes. Rating websites would be the same except that it could be possible for parents to block such sites if they so chose. Such a system would not affect anyone else.

Does the movie rating system affect you in any way?

Immie

[5stringJeff]

Exactly, the rating system is only for informational purposes. Rating websites would be the same except that it could be possible for parents to block such sites if they so chose. Such a system would not affect anyone else.

Does the movie rating system affect you in any way?

Immie

That's my point. Movies are rated by an industry group. Movie theaters are not bound by law to keep kids out of R-rated films, only by industry standards/agreements.

On the other hand, this British MP is advocating an international government rating system, and potentially forcing ISPs to grant and block access to those sites based on those government-issued ratings. Those are major differences from a voluntary, industry-based ratings system.