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from the going-to-need-lots-of-volunteers-to-build-the-block-list dept.
Rhode Island is the latest US state to discuss mandatory censorship of web content, at first targeting pornography:
Rhode Island Democratic state Senators Frank Ciccone (@senatorciccone) and Hanna Gallo (@hannagallo27) have proposed grandstanding, unworkable legislation, "Relating to Public Utilities and Carriers—Internet Digital Blocking" which would mandate the state's ISPs to identify all the pornography on the [I]nternet, and then block it for all Rhode Islanders, unless those Rhode Islanders specifically requested their porn to be unblocked and paid $20 for the privilege.
These proposals fly in the face of the observation that automated pornography filters don't work and that even the manual ones are neither practical, reliable, nor scalable.
Source : Rhode Island proposes blocking all online porn and charging $20 to unblock it. Boing Boing.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by DannyB on Friday March 09 2018, @03:12PM (2 children)
It seems at this point that any legislator that proposes censoring anything should be required to pay a fee for even suggesting it.
Burning books. Preventing publication of anything. Blocking or interfering with internet connections. In any form. The mere suggestion of it, let alone introduction of legislation.
If legislators do not know what is unconstitutional, they are unqualified to be in office. I'm not talking about being a constitutional lawyer. I mean basic understanding like the 1st amendment and that free speech unimpeded by government is one of our foundational principles.
If you want to block obscenity, then block the president's Twitter.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Phoenix666 on Friday March 09 2018, @07:31PM (1 child)
That's a fine idea. We ought to have a basic qualifying exam for people that want to run for office. They must prove they have a workable grasp of the constitution. They must pass a brain scan to prove they're not psychopaths.
Then we fit people who are successfully elected with electric belts that deliver a painful shock every time the politician's approval rating drops below 40%. If they drop below 30% they must submit to a semi-annual pillory.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday March 09 2018, @09:18PM
A lot would be fixed if we simply ended the corruption merry-go-round.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.