![]() ![]() The problem is that the definition of what is horrific, or what kind of content can corrupt public morals, is completely subjective. The government also plans to censor “horrific” search terms, whatever that means, so results won’t even show up on Google. In a speech delivered Monday, British Prime Minister David Cameron made non-Royal-baby-related news by announcing that the government is prepared to “force” Internet service providers to block pornographic websites and force people to opt-in by making an uncomfortable call to their local telco, in order to view them. In a free society, you don’t have to like what other people say - you just have to be tolerant of their right to say it.Ĭensorship laws designed to “protect” people from pornography, graphic images, offensive speech or sedition will be even easier to enforce if countries start adopting large-scale Internet censorship programs, such as those in China and the U.K. But freedom of speech includes giving people the right to express themselves in ways that others perceive to be icky or objectionable. This is not to say that I approve of posting graphic murder videos on the Internet. Marek even argues that visitors to his site were able to identify the killer before police were even aware of the murder - showing that releasing video may, in fact, have been a benefit to the public. Anyone who chose otherwise is responsible for any upset they may have felt after clicking play. ![]() I certainly wasn’t offended, because I chose not to view the material. Nor can Marek be held responsible for anyone who was disturbed by watching the video. Marek, however, did not commit the alleged crime, and is in no way responsible for what happened to Lin. The video in question appears to have depicted a real crime (Magnotta’s trial will conclude that substantively in due time). But if the state is potentially going to take away his liberty, we should have a clear idea of who was hurt by the video. The crime comes with a maximum penalty of two years in prison. This is why it was disturbing to see Edmonton police dust off an obscure law passed in 1949 to protect Canadians from the scourge of comic books, in order to prosecute Mark Marek - who operates the Best Gore website, which hosted a video allegedly showing Luka Magnotta killing and dismembering the body of Jun Lin - for corrupting public morals. But any kind of censorship, no matter how incidental it may seem, always entails some government busybody deciding what is hate speech and what is fair comment, or what is art and what is porn. One the surface, the fight for freedom of speech in Canada, and the West more broadly, may seem trivial in comparison. During the failed Green Revolution in 2009, numerous social media sites were blocked to prevent protesters from organizing, and those who spoke out against the state were routinely rounded up and sent to jail. ![]() This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Manage Print Subscription / Tax Receipt. ![]()
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