UK ISPs block Wikipedia page

Matt Lincoln Russell (Lincoln)

December 9, 2008 10:39 AM ET in News, , , , , ,

Most UK Internet providers have blocked access to a Wikipedia article on the Scorpions’ album Virgin Killer because the controversial cover depicts a nude female minor. This followed the Internet Watch Foundation (a child porn watchdog) blacklisting the page which, according to several sources,  followed a “complaint.”

This marks the first time any part of Wikipedia has been blocked in the United Kingdom, and has resulted in a number of issues that includes the current inability to edit Wikipedia for a number of Britons. Additionally, ZDNet has an excellent article that gives some background into court cases related to child porn in the US and why the cover is legal (and depicted elsewhere on the Internet, including Amazon).

Surprisingly, given the medium, many online publications are not linking to the Wikipedia page in question (there it is again) despite its role as the entire subject matter of their articles. I don’t know if they’re feeling scared of the big bad censors, prudes, or just pretending that a link is somehow different than giving them the article’s name and location to be searched. Way to completely ignore the medium you’re writing in (or self-censor).

7 Comments:

  1. Interesting. That page is blocked, but not Blind Faith's controversial album cover. Does musical taste come into play when dictating censorship?

  2. I know that I'm offended.

  3. Holy shi~! I believe that's pushing publicity in the wrong way and would hate to see more of this kind of work.

    I know that I'm offended.

    ^

  4. I'm not offended. It's legal in all western countries. Whatever.

  5. The thing that strikes me as especially interesting is just how old the original use of this artwork is.

  6. The IWF rescinded their crusade today.

  7. MEH and the britts call us uptight.

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