[UK]Internet sites could be given 'cinema-style' ratings

[The_Right_Honourable_Brit]

I am the Government. I want control because I know the best for everybody. Another wonderful concept from the Labour Government.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Andy Burnham says he believes that new standards of decency need to be applied to the web. He is planning to negotiate with Barack Obama’s incoming American administration to draw up new international rules for English language websites.

The Cabinet minister describes the internet as “quite a dangerous place” and says he wants internet-service providers (ISPs) to offer parents “child-safe” web services.

Giving film-style ratings to individual websites is one of the options being considered, he confirms. When asked directly whether age ratings could be introduced, Mr Burnham replies: “Yes, that would be an option. This is an area that is really now coming into full focus.”

ISPs, such as BT, Tiscali, AOL or Sky could also be forced to offer internet services where the only websites accessible are those deemed suitable for children.

 

[bwana]

The Cabinet minister describes the internet as “quite a dangerous place” and says he wants internet-service providers (ISPs) to offer parents “child-safe” web services.

As long as it isnt mandatory filtering I dont see the problem. I think may parents would welcome the offer - more and more kids are going to have to rely upon the internet to augment their education and as much as a parent would want/hope to supervise it 101% of the time it might not be possible.

 

[Nanfeishen]

As long as it isnt mandatory filtering I dont see the problem.

Problem is that Andrew Burnham would like it to be mandatory

Internet providers will be urged to adopt the proposals in the new year, but if that failed to work, Burnham said the proposals might have to be enshrined in law.

Some other comments he made WRT the internet in same article:

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

The internet has been empowering and democratising in many ways, but we haven't yet got the stakes in the ground to help people navigate their way safely around what can be a very, very complex and quite dangerous world

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/dec/27/website-rating-plan-government-obama

From some other article about this guy one can see that he has a certain grind against the internet per se:

Burnham’s central thesis is simply this: that cyberspace is an anarchic, value-free, quasi-Hobbesian homagé to the frontier values of the American Old West. A place in need of a new breed of lawmen and state-sponsored private sector bounty hunters.

http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2008/07/28/mailtoandy-burnham-tombstone-com/

It seems he also lobbies for the BBC:

Yet now it seems that Culture Secretary Andy Burnham thinks television in the UK is so special that it needs to be kept safe from attack by the nasty people of the online world.

Apparently it is time to "even up" regulation between the internet and television because those producing online material get an easy ride.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7644849.stm

But then again he also wants to change libraries:

There’s something immensely depressing about people wanting to make libraries jolly and lively and full of buzz. If it were the idea of a five-year old you could probably forgive them (after a quick slap round the chops) but when it’s the idea of your nation's supposed “Culture Secretary” then you really need to worry.

http://www.garethbouch.com/2008/10/cock-of-week-andy-burnham.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/10/andyburnham

 

[supersunbird]

Where do I apply to view only the 18SNVL websites?

 

[bwana]

Problem is that Andrew Burnham would like it to be mandatory

So far all I've read was him saying the offering of the service could be made mandatory.

Where do I apply to view only the 18SNVL websites?

Top shelf, towards the rear of the internet.

 

[PeterCH]

As long as it isnt mandatory filtering I dont see the problem. I think may parents would welcome the offer - more and more kids are going to have to rely upon the internet to augment their education and as much as a parent would want/hope to supervise it 101% of the time it might not be possible.

Why doesn't the government just buy NetNanny or some other clone and then give it out free to the parents.

Why do adults need ratings?

Hehe, see the way these guys dress censorship up? You have movie and video ratings at the shop/rental store. Why not have them on the web?
It's the same right??? LOL.

 

[Nanfeishen]

So far all I've read was him saying the offering of the service could be made mandatory.

Maybe i am misreading the following bit wrong then , its just the use of the words "forced" "deemed suitable" and "compelling", that threw me of on a tangent

ISPs, such as BT, Tiscali, AOL or Sky could also be forced to offer internet services where the only websites accessible are those deemed suitable for children.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sciencea...style-age-ratings-Culture-Secretary-says.html

Other safeguards mooted by Burnham include compelling websites such as YouTube and Facebook to remove offensive material within a specified time after they have been alerted to it, and changing Britain's libel laws to make it cheaper for people to sue publishers if they have been defamed online. Internet providers will be urged to adopt the proposals in the new year, but if that failed to work, Burnham said the proposals might have to be enshrined in law.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/dec/27/website-rating-plan-government-obama

 

[LazyLion]

the duty of government is to protect the citizens (from invasion)... not from naughty websites.

Let them spend the money rather on getting internet to some classrooms in rural Africa.

 

[bwana]

the duty of government is to protect the citizens (from invasion)... not from naughty websites.

Its a bit more involved than that. Basic services, education, health, welfare . . . certainly not just border patrol.

 

[PeterCH]

Its a bit more involved than that. Basic services, education, health, welfare . . . certainly not just border patrol.

Arguably keeping young kids away from sites like SomethingAwful and 4chan could be considered a form of education. After all interaction with other /b/tards will make some /b/tards worse .