German parliament passes filter bill

Robert Hallock (Thrax)

June 19, 2009 12:31 PM ET in News, , , ,

Germany’s Bundestag has succeeded in passing a bill which will establish a content filter for the country aimed at stopping child pornography.

The legislation requires that ISPs display an interstitial warning page when end users attempt to access content flagged on the Government’s clandestine blacklist; the verboten content would remain available for the nation’s truly persistent or lecherous.

The proposed law is the brainchild of Family Affairs Minister Ursula von der Leyen who claimed that the maneuver was an “important sign from society.” It has received significant multilateral support from rival conservative and liberal parties within the German government.

Meanwhile, it has attracted a raft of criticism from the nation’s citizens which filed Germany’s largest ever parliamentary petition containing more than 130,000 signatures. While the move was not enough to stop the bill from clearing its first hurdle, it did prompt a sunset clause which forces the legislation to expire after three years.

There are several more stages for the bill to endure before becoming law, but it appears well on its way, drama and all.

11 Comments:

  1. A warning page? That's it? It doesn't stop you from viewing the content?

    What in the Sam Hill are you really complaining about, Germany?

  2. That's it. Just a warning.

  3. Just that the government is filtering their information makes me appreciate living in America, for the time being...

  4. If you really want unfiltered information you should move to Finland. According to the World Press Freedom Committee they have the least restrictions on media.

  5. Kippis!

    Ja, ja. Suomi on suuri

  6. I'm still for it. I mean c'mon, it's child pornography. But I can see why people wold be up in arms about filtering it. I just don't think virtual reality laws have progressed as far as laws governing us in the streets.

  7. I just don't think virtual reality laws have progressed as far as laws governing us in the streets.

    This is very true. They have progressed even further...Try googling all the words China censors. Currently they have upwards of 50 people in jail for using the internet.

    I fully believe controlling what people can and can't look at on the internet is the first step into full control of a country....

    Filtering doesn't do any good. If they filter child porn sites, then the sick wackos can't look at it and if they can't look at it they can't be charged....

    I think this will just force them underground......

    [No offence ment to anyone, just looking at this from a logical point of view...]

  8. Mr TRiot

    The only way to enforce what you are describing would be to monitor websites and record user IP information to later go and track them down to prosecute. That would be a far more dangerous road to travel.

    There is always going to be sicko's, the question is how to protect the victims.

  9. Name one country with a content filter that doesn't infringe on civil liberties or go beyond its proposed scope.

    You can't.

  10. Name one country with a content filter that doesn't infringe on civil liberties or go beyond its proposed scope.

    You can't.

    ^this

    It's an unfortunate truth, no matter how you look at it.

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