History
Tyndale Bible
- first English translation of bible which was mass produced
- thousands of copies burnt
- Tyndale hounded out of England
- eventually captured, strangled, burnt
Star Chamber
- Rich and powerful couldn’t be touched.
- Star chamber chaired by king, so could get everyone below
- all secret (including laws ...)
- no right to appeal etc
- kings (Henry VII, Charles I) turn it into vicous, brutal, arbitrary court
- all books have to pre-approved/pre-censored
- 1643 Licensing Act
John Milton - Areopagitica
In response: John Milton - Areopagitica (speech to parliament)
- it won’t work
- unintended harmful consequences for society - you will censor more than is good
20 years later, without any big crisis, censorship fades away
John Stewart Mill
- humans are fallible - we can’t be sure that what we oppose is actually wrong
- humans are ...
so, don’t censor
The Present
Filtering
- default-on network-level adult content filters
- filters will be on in any places where children might be present
“adult content” - talk about sex, sexual health, drugs, “extremist” sites
current filters - over block, easy to circumvent, run by private companies, no appeal or redress
“any places where children might be present” - not phone, not home. It is hotels, coffee shop, museum, libraries, trains - “the commons”
What can you do?
- Open Rights Group are “most plausible” group on these issues
- http://writetothem.com - write to your MP
- Andrews & Arnold Ltd - only UK ISP who refuse to filter at network level
- replace the internet !! (medium term goal)