At the beginning of 2007 the Netherlands national police published a blacklist of known websites providing child pornography and asked ISPs to block access to these sites. The De Pers newspaper is reporting that three providers are refusing to comply.
KPN, XS4all and Tiscali are the providers who refused to block access. XS4all says that to do so would be infringing on free speech. KPN indicated that what is and what is not child pornography is debatable.
Debatable? It is against the law! One would hope that in the case of children who have been abused and exploited providers would be more willing to err on the side of too strict.
Justice ministry officials in the Netherlands are upset. "'We really regret the fact that internet providers will not work with us on a voluntary basis."
This highlights a concerning trend among many who criticize those who want to limit children's access to pornography. The critics cry that regulation should be voluntary - but all too often content publishers and providers are unwilling to comply with voluntary standards. That is why CP80 supports advancing the Internet Zoning Initiative and other strategies through constitutionally-sound legislation.
The freedom of speech is paramount and must be protected. The freedom from speech and the right to choose are also critical and must be upheld. If publishers and providers are unwilling to comply voluntarily then laws are necessary to properly protect our children.
The CP80 Foundation is pleased to offer free training to individuals who wish to learn more about the Internet, pornography, current laws and the CP80 Internet Channel Initiative.
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