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December 29, 2008
UK Introducing Movie-like Website Rating System
The UK government is looking in to giving websites rating similar to those used for movies, Reuters reports, and they are reaching out to the United States to get involved.
While the idea of stricter restrictions for kids' access to certain web content may not be a bad one, the idea of some government appointed official determining ratings is scary. Or will it be put to a vote? Will we get to vote on who becomes the web czar? How many people will be involved?
Reuters reported Andy Burnham, Britian's Culture Minister, said "the government was planning to negotiate with the administration of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama to draw up new international rules for English."
"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," Burnham told the UK Telegraph.
Censorship of the internet by governments is nothing new, but the US government is not the same as China. This initiative seems like a slippery slope. It is definitely something everyone should keep aware of, if it starts you should be recognize the people acting as censors - they will be the same guys pulling the books from our library shelves.
Posted by Frank Watson on December 29, 2008 11:55 AM
Comments
Hard to see this as anything other than the thin end of the wedge. I hope Mr Burnham has a big stack of angry letters to deal with when he gets back to Westminster.
~Ben December 29, 2008 7:13 PM
Please be more accurate in your headlines. The UK is NOT introducing movie like website rating systems. The government might well be talking about it, but it's not actually being done - at least at the moment. Your headline gives entirely the wrong impression.
(I do however agree entirely with your sentiment regarding this inept witless idiot and his stupid ideas!)
Phil Bradley December 30, 2008 8:36 AM
Got me... maybe should add a question mark to the headline... thanks for correcting me.
AussieWebmaster December 30, 2008 8:38 AM
