Internet sites could be given 'cinema-style age ratings', Culture Secretary says

[Tom Kitten]

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk/

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Andy Burnham says he believes that new standards of decency need to be applied to the web. He is planning to negotiate with Barack Obama’s incoming American administration to draw up new international rules for English language websites.

Giving film-style ratings to individual websites is one of the options being considered, he confirms. When asked directly whether age ratings could be introduced, Mr Burnham replies: “Yes, that would be an option. This is an area that is really now coming into full focus.”

ISPs, such as BT, Tiscali, AOL or Sky could also be forced to offer internet services where the only websites accessible are those deemed suitable for children.

... “There is content that should just not be available to be viewed. That is my view. Absolutely categorical. This is not a campaign against free speech, far from it; it is simply there is a wider public interest at stake when it involves harm to other people. We have got to get better at defining where the public interest lies and being clear about it.”

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/technologynews/3965051/Internet-sites-could-be-given-cinema-style-age-ratings-Culture-Secretary-says.html

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Where did Labour get...

All these folks with traumatic toilet training issues?

[w4rma]

19. 'New' Labour has been filling up with DLC (Rockefeller Republican) types. (nt)

[Merlot]

2. It's gonna be tought getting that genie back in the bottle

as for the rating system, see the documentary on the rating board "this film not yet rated"

sex = bad

violence = ok

[Donnachaidh]

3. Let me guess -- the Culture Secretary has some leather and

a bondage mistress that swings him from a hook till he says a safe word?

WTF? I thought only the US had internet hall monitor types....

[drm604]

4. I can't see how this could possibly work.

Is some board going to review every URL on the internet? Good luck with that. Even if they could somehow review every existing website they couldn't possibly keep up with constantly changing content on those sites let alone check out all of the new sites that pop up every day.

Has Burnham actually used the internet? If so, I don't see how he can possibly believe this is feasible.

[Mr Creosote]

8. Don't need to review every URL on the net

Just the ones that are critical of the British Government, because that's what this is actually all about.

[progdonkey]

11. and it's not like they'd care about collateral damage...

It would still be incredibly difficult to censor every web-posting critical of the government and ONLY those.

It's much easier when you don't care about the "ONLY" part--oh, so 100 "innocent" websites were blocked in addition to the one critical one... that's just the price you pay for decency, right? It's the same basic authoritarian viewpoint as believing that it's better for 100 people to be unjustly imprisoned than for one guilty person to escape his punishment.

[PatrynXX]

13. So would DU get an R or a PG-13

it's got language. :P course some of the sites I frequent the ratings board would faint. :P

[T_i_B]

20. "Has Burnham actually used the internet?"

Well he is an ultra-Blairite, and if the ultra-Blairites lack of activity on the net is anything to go by then then the answer is probably no.

[pop goes the weasel]

5. what an idiot

Is he next going to demand that individuals carry content warnings, too? After all, you never know when someone is going to let lose a string of colorful expletives or the next table over will start up a conversation about exactly who did what to whom and with what. What a big scary world it must be for Andy Burnham.

[Tom Kitten]

6. truly

what about the comments sections in sites like, say, youtube? They are sometimes shocking! Something must be done at once! Or else...why that's his job and why he's being paid! To fix things up and reverse the tainted colouring of discourse!

[davidthegnome]

7. Good luck to those assholes

This is the last sort of bull shit anyone with half a brain would promote as a reasonable idea. It's not just the absurdity of such an attempt that would be ultimately futile - it's the idiocy that makes these fools think they have the right to determine what can and cannot be viewed. To hell with them. I'll read what I wish to read, and watch what I wish to watch.

[depakid]

9. Is there any question whatsoever that this guy has psychological problems?

...one wonders what our heroes of the rugby field and cricket pitch would make of Andy Burnham with his long eyelashes, trim eyebrows and what may be a touch of mascara.

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport spent yesterday denying claims that he had layered on the make-up for an appearance on Question Time. He said he had suffered a life-long problem of people thinking he was wearing cosmetics when he was not.

Producers of the BBC1 programme received a flood of texts about Mr Burnham's appearance when the show went out on Thursday night.

Some viewers questioned whether the make-up department had been a little overzealous. Others wondered if he had decided on a makeover in keeping with his role in Government, plucking his eyebrows, plumping up his lashes and applying a dab of fake tan.

One said: "What's with the makeup? Pink lipstick, pastel eye-shadow, eyeliner and mascara." Another added: "He looked like a doll."

But yesterday Mr Burnham, 38, said: "I had an email in my constituency office saying 'what mascara-do you use?'".

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-513072/Whos-pretty-boy-Labour-minister-Andy-Burnham-glams-Question-Time.html

[pipoman]

10. Really

I am a bit out of touch with the UK politics but isn't the Labour Party their Progressive, Liberal Party? Is this shit coming to the US Dem party next? I was hoping for some loosening of the FCC nonsense of the last 8 years..this looks worse. This does fall in line with UK progressive banning of common household items as dangerous weapons when they found their banning of firearms failed to significantly impact overall violence. Hopefully O tells this panty soaked ninny to pound sand.

[Amonester]

12. This is ridiculous.

Absolute nonsense. It will never work.

[geckosfeet]

14. Moralistic lecturing bastards.

Parents should be responsible for restricting access and teaching for their kids how to be decent human beings. Trying to regulate free speech and communication is a losing battle and it will NOT have the intended result.

I am reminded of the Greek tragedy Dionysus.

[RCinBrooklyn]

15. Like the self-righteous, right-wing, political hacks of the movie ratings system.

[blogslut]

16. In America, film ratings are self-regulated by the industry

And if Mr. Burnham knew what the hell he was talking about, then he would know that thousands of adult websites already use the ICRA and RTA labeling systems on their domains. These labels work in conjunction with filtering software so that persons who install filters do not risk opening self-labeled adult sites.

[bemildred]

17. Sounds like a jobs creation act for porn lovers. nt

[caseymoz]

18. Not against free speech?

As the article mentions, ISP's could limit themselves, or could be made to deny access, to websites that have an acceptable rating. It strips away everything the Internet has accomplished.

We should have the same rating system for politicians. I rate him an NC-90.