Re: Italy orders ISPs to block sites

["Steven M. Bellovin" <smb () cs columbia edu>]

On Tue, 07 Mar 2006 13:53:40 +0000
Mehmet Akcin <mehmet () nic pr> wrote:

> Well, I can't blame Italy for trying to enforce their laws, but maybe
> can give them a better idea.
>
> Maybe instead of all those ACLs, other type of Blocks, DNS
> removals,etc.. Governments should more go to the direction of making
> agreement on the credit card companies which automatically will charge a
> tax when somebody is using those websites.
>
> I am sure almost all the transactions are thru debit account transfers
> or credit cards such as VISA, MC, or AMEX and it's not hard to find out
> the bank accounts of the companies which are doing gambling. So instead
> of trying to block something that the real mean is the FREEDOM (we call
> it Internet) go and push the banks to enforce the laws.

Yes, and the US government does that, too.  It sometimes comes down to
who has a bigger lobby, the bankers or the ISPs.  Note also that banks
make money directly on each such transaction; ISPs don't.