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The EU’s CleanIT group has published plans on how it believes terrorist use of the web could be curtailed, with one laughably useless suggestion saying that ISPs should add a clause to their contracts insisting that people don’t use their web connections for evil purposes. That’s sure to work.
The security method would be enforced in part by users, with CleanIT suggesting that a “browser-based reporting mechanism” could be developed, giving everyone within the EU the chance to act like a vigilante and report sites and their users for possible terrorist offences.
CleanIT has burned through €400,000 in putting together these proposals. Even the report writers seem unsure as to the effectiveness of any future changes, noting that “It is often difficult to determine which content on the Internet is illegal” and pointing out the difficulty in restricting freedoms while also supporting basic human rights. [CleanIT [PDF] via Ars]
Image credit: Terrorism via Shutterstock
“€400,000″ talk about a great investment.
Clearly someone’s been pissing in the think tank.
Clearly the EU has not heard of McCarthy and the way people’s lives were ruined by (often) baseless accusations that they were ‘Communists’. A reporting tool is useless.
The right of free-speech extends to all – and that should not be curtailed by any person being able click on a single link. There is after all a thing called the rule of law.
Great! Another EU bullsh*t idea!!
If it cost that much to make the proposal what will the running costs be?
And I bet it is as useful as a chocolate fire guard!
Its people like this who really do pose a threat to freedom and democracy.
There is also the other argument that the women and children currently being bombed in Pakistan might want an online voice and I have to assume it would not be too favourable to those who are doing the bombing.
I do not support the military or the corrupt politicians that deploy them but something really needs to be done about the actual damage being committed and not the future possibility of an unknown ‘terrorist’ wanting web hosting.
Remember in the US ‘Occupy’ was designated terrorist as it was in the UK along with people protesting their pay and conditions. The scum police are the ones who assign those definitions and now they too want the right to strike and are lobbying for it at the moment.
Just as Gordon Brown used terrorist laws to take money from Iceland, as the police use terrorist laws to stop, search and arrest black people, this law would be abused by those with power.
If this becomes law then I’ll be heading straight to the PETA site and spamming the report button, then every bingo site and go compare. Oh yes, give me that button and I’ll abuse it constantly.
Really? I was going to head for a few of Americas military and law enforcement websites.