Re: EU Promotes Continent-Wide Censorship

[Drsolly <drsollyp () drsolly com>]

On Fri, 19 May 2006, Fergie wrote:

> Via The Register.
>
> [snip]
>
> EU media commissioner Viviane Reding yesterday defended proposals for
> continent-wide censorship laws to control the Internet, telephone
> communications and radio broadcasts, while bringing television
> regulators under the same set of rules.
>
> She told a press conference her aim was to protect children and prevent
> the incitement of hatred, reported Reuters news agency. The plan would
> see rules governing television broadcasts replicated to regulate other
> media.
>
> She said there had been agreement at a meeting of European Union culture
> ministers that content that "goes too far" and "destroys our society"
> should be blocked. They wanted to see content that conformed with "basic
> societal values".
>
> The rules would promote an internal market for media firms who currently
> faced a smorgasbord of rules in different countries. It had "nothing to
> do with free speech" she said.
>
> [snip]
>
> No, it has everything to do with spoon-feeding your
> contituents pablum.
 
It depends how you read it.

Consider this. Every country *already* has censorship rules. For example, 
child pornogaphy is censored everywhere. It "goes too far" and "should be 
blocked". I think most people agree on this.

But different countries have different rules. In the context of the EU, we
want a single set of rules, otherwise you can have a TV broadcast or web
site that is perfectly legal in one country, but illegal in another. How 
can a company operate in such a market? With extreme difficulty. But maybe 
it's possible to agree on a single set of censorship rules?

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