Save The Children!

[Just-Jude]

Is David Cameron using the hysterical propaganda from childrens charities about paedophiles, in an attempt to censor and control the internet?

[baza]

he must think it's a vote winner.

[Prudie]

On the contrary, he's finally trying to get something done that must be technologically able to be vastly improved upon. Surely no-one can suggest that vile child pornography on the net should be left under the guise of free speech?

[mikey4444]

Of course not. He is just trying to do something about this disgraceful situation whereby the internet companies are making huge sums of money out of pornography. Its high time someone did and he is our PM after all.

[sp1814]

mikey4444

Not sure that's accurate. The effort at the moment is wholly centred on search engines, such as Google. However, logic dictates that service providers who actually host these sites need to be shut, rather than seath engines, who earn no revenue by providing listings.

And that's the big problem...because the are held outside the UK, where our government has no jurisdiction.

[excelsior-1]

aswell as targeting people who search for, and download such material - why don't they go after the people who post it on there in the first place?

[Sharingan]

I think it's just a vote winning strategy because I can't imagine it doing anything at all to stop child pornography, in fact I think it will make it harder to detect offenders. Anyone involved in something so illegal and so dark and wrong will turn to peer to peer if they are not already using it, and pay for it with Bitcoins or other alternative currency. Stopping google listing it just sends it deeper underground, when they ought to be using Google etc to track down who is hosting it and who is uploading and downloading it. Still it makes it LOOK as if he's doing something about it, so it's a vote winner.

[hc4361]

A lot of it comes from abroad - what can our government do about that? Nothing, accept persuade other governments to do something about it in their countries.

[hc4361]

I have always been quite frightened about stumbling on child porn by accident - I am thankful it has never happened and hope it never will.

(I've never accessed it on purpose, either, before the pendants jump on me.)

[mikey4444]

I'm not sure about the technicalities sp1814 but I am glad someone is raising the profile of this business. Just-Judes assertion is plain daft. Cameron is just doing his job of leading the nation, and this is from someone who didn't vote for him.

If Tesco was selling pornography alongside its carrots, nobody would have much time for their excuse that "it came from abroad"

It can't possibly be beyond the ken of the vast internet industry to get its act together and stop the worst of this disgusting business.

The reality is that they make money from it and that is while they are sitting on the sidelines and ringing their hands in dispair.

[Just-Jude]

Sharingan has hit the nail on the head, it's just another bandwagon to jump on. Adults should be left to decide what's good or bad for them.

Google have avoided paying billions in UK taxes, shouldn't he be dealing with this instead of scare stories?

[boxtops]

what's hysterical about it?

[hc4361]

Are you bonkers, Jude? How can child porn ever be good for anyone?

Don't the children count?

[Kromovaracun]

This is the kind of thing that can only be addresed by international action and unilaterals with other governments - there is absolutely nothing the UK government can do on its own that can stop this problem, and this is blindingly obvious to anyone who knows the least thing about the internet.

It's posturing.

[Prudie]

The bandwagon on here is the posters using it as an opportunity to have a go at Cameron because they don't support him. How you can call it censorship or pointless is beyond me. At least he's trying to do something. I find it quite offensive to suggest that his motive is primarily vote winning and also to suggest that adults should have the option to watch depravity.
Nobody can defend child pornography.

[mikey4444]

I agree jude...everybody should be able to download as much child pornography as they like. After all, its not illegal is it ?

Is it ?

[boxtops]

Jude, any self-respecting adult doesn't want to look at child porn in the first place, let alone stumble across it by accident on the internet.

[Just-Jude]

boxtops, "what's hysterical about it?"

The stories put about by these groups about paedophiles being found hiding under classroom desks, they'll say anything in order to get publicity for their minority views.

[boxtops]

I don't think it's hysteria. There are a great many sick people out there.

[hc4361]

St Jude is the patron saint for the hopeless and despairing. Sad you don't take after him.

[Just-Jude]

I never said adults should be allowed to download child pornography, stop acting like Cameron trying to twist the facts.