UK to Start Banning People from the Internet!

It was only a matter of time. Now the UK government has decided to impose severe restrictions on people accused of bullying or criminal activity on the Internet.

It calls for police and courts to make more use of existing “cyber sanctions” to restrict access to the social networks and instant messaging services in cases of hacking, fraud and online bullying. Sex offenders and those convicted of harrassment or anti-social behaviour also face more internet restrictions under the new strategy.

Similar orders have been imposed on those charged with involvement in a series of cyber attacks by the Anonymous and LulzSec groups earlier this year, while they await trial.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolog...m-the-web.html

While most people support the freedom of speech that we all have there are times when that does cross the line and if a person does not take responsibility for those actions it leave little recourse but to create laws that deal with that.

In cyber too many people think that they have total anonymity from repercussions from their actions and speech. They do not feel they are held to any standard of behaviour.

Cyber bullying is a problem and does need to be looked into. No different than in real time. The same holds true for hate crimes and discrimination or other laws that are broken in cyber space.

I am not sure if the laws will actually be able to correct all of the problems though as unfortunately you can legislate common sense and decency. Instead the laws simply make it punishable but do not stop it. Rather like in real time as well.

Originally Posted by Heat

While most people support the freedom of speech that we all have there are times when that does cross the line and if a person does not take responsibility for those actions it leave little recourse but to create laws that deal with that.

In cyber too many people think that they have total anonymity from repercussions from their actions and speech. They do not feel they are held to any standard of behaviour.

Cyber bullying is a problem and does need to be looked into. No different than in real time. The same holds true for hate crimes and discrimination or other laws that are broken in cyber space.

I am not sure if the laws will actually be able to correct all of the problems though as unfortunately you can legislate common sense and decency. Instead the laws simply make it punishable but do not stop it. Rather like in real time as well.

My problem with this is that it doesn't just take away a person's privileges (like a driver's license), it takes away a basic human right, Free Speech.

As I say to people who complain when they get banned from this website that "only your government can deny you free speech."

And here it is, the perfect example.

So how would YOU feel if you were banned from the Internet because they think you did a drug deal on it? That would be all it would take.

Sorry no more Internet access for you! And if you try, you go to jail...

You needn't even be found guilty, just accused.

The rise in use of TOR in the UK will go up then i bet.... i'm considering redownloading it just from hearing this...

Originally Posted by Skip

My problem with this is that it doesn't just take away a person's privileges (like a driver's license), it takes away a basic human right, Free Speech.

As I say to people who complain when they get banned from this website that "only your government can deny you free speech."

And here it is, the perfect example.

So how would YOU feel if you were banned from the Internet because they think you did a drug deal on it? That would be all it would take.

Sorry no more Internet access for you! And if you try, you go to jail...

You needn't even be found guilty, just accused.

I do understand and see your point but I also see many who have little or no regard for any control. Those that constantly abuse the system that is cyber for their own agenda. We see it all over the net all the time.

That someone uses freedom of speech to justify doing what is legally an issue and then yells that it infringes on their freedoms is poppycock. Tell the people who it effects that the net is no where near as harmful as if they did it to you in person. To those who are damaged by bullies and predators and illegal scams to just name a few, feel just as violated as if the crimes were in real time.

Many predators use the net as well for exactly those reasons, they claim anonymity and freedom of speech or expression.

I do not think that if a person is not convicted that they should necessarily lose the right to access the net.

To be honest with you this is a problem that has been building since the net has become second nature for all of us. While this also may not be a perfect solution it at least will hopefully address some of those who do use the net for reasons that are not social or informative.

I have yet to see anyone suggest any more effective way to deal with it.

Originally Posted by Heat

I have yet to see anyone suggest any more effective way to deal with it.

Uh, how many laws do we have on the books already to deal with the crimes involved?

Why do we need even MORE LAWS that do nothing but strip away basic human rights? Especially when these kinds of laws are so easily abused for political or economic motivations?

It would be so easy to apply these laws to people who maybe upload pics of police brutality for instance. Or those who encourage others to do revolutionary acts (like occupying a square).

Give me a break. Repeat offenders get the book thrown at them and jailed for a long time. No need for more penalties.

These kinds of laws are just BIG BROTHER grabbing more power over the PEOPLE.

If you can't see that then you are BLIND and enabling the fascist Police State to gain even more control over the Internet and what is said on it.

I think it's a dangerous line, the bullying bullshit yes, they should clamp down on it, but "Criminal activity" is a pretty freaking vague description. UK Kids are going to be barred for life for having downloaded a ripped copy of Halo? And how will they handle instances where IP's are spoofed and messages forged, not only does some schmuck get screwed in the first scam but ends up loosing internet access for life because of it?

And then there's the whole window of opportunity it gives "them" (You know, the evil Lizard overlords) to frame people who are working against them and their way's,,,

If someone organized an OWS event and it turned into a Riot, if they had used the Internet to Advertize the event it could be viewed as inciting a Riot,,, (I'm sure they could find a Lawyer slippery enough to pull it off in one of their courts)

Risky, risky, risky ground they're walking on in the neighborhood of civil liberties,

But the angle of the Act which would stop mean kids from picking on the fat one's to the point they slit their wrists and such,,, good stuff (Still perhaps a bit extreme.)

idk, bullying is a problem but how it goes unchecked on the net is just a reflection of the things in real life that we can't change. imo cracking down on bullies in school is a lot more effective way of treating the problem

Originally Posted by Skip

Uh, how many laws do we have on the books already to deal with the crimes involved?

Why do we need even MORE LAWS that do nothing but strip away basic human rights? Especially when these kinds of laws are so easily abused for political or economic motivations?

It would be so easy to apply these laws to people who maybe upload pics of police brutality for instance. Or those who encourage others to do revolutionary acts (like occupying a square).

Give me a break. Repeat offenders get the book thrown at them and jailed for a long time. No need for more penalties.

These kinds of laws are just BIG BROTHER grabbing more power over the PEOPLE.

If you can't see that then you are BLIND and enabling the fascist Police State to gain even more control over the Internet and what is said on it.

Many of the laws are not covered when cyber is being used as the method of delivery. Then when charged they rant that their freedom of speech is being limited.

Freedom of speech or expression is not meant to be used as a reason or defense for infringing on others rights to the same guarantee. Nor is it meant to be used to be able to cause harm to another person or spread hate, as in the definition of hate crimes.

The issue of the net growing faster than the changes to the laws regarding some behaviours is evident.

While it may cause a ripple in the petty crimes that is not what I would hope was the target. Instead those who bully or are predators against another person would come under amended laws that allow for prosecution of crimes that traditionally were reserved for in person infractions rather than internet which is at a distance.

The reason that many of those crimes have become so prevalent on the net is because there was anonymity or perceived anonymity.

As I stated if not convicted then I do not agree with sanctions against a person.

it would be rather wonderful if someone could invent a firewall or software to ban any words or numbers from one's computer, no matter whence they come.

for example, an ip address...completely, forever blocked. a name or email title...completely, forever blocked. put whatever you want blocked in the blank, and never see anything like it again.

the bullies, i suppose, could eventually cause you to block everything...and the internet dies. let the bullies have cyberspace. we lived just fine without it for a long time. in the old days, if you were bullied, and no one would do anything about it, a ball bat might take care of the problem. now you can't even find the sorry bastards to deal with them.