A group of 40 human rights activists from around the world fear that Iceland could become “a role model for Internet censorship” if it introduces Internet filters blocking online content deemed pornographic.
“The act of censoring pornography in Iceland differs in no
way from repression of speech in Iran, China or North Korea,”
human rights advocates wrote in an open letter to Icelandic
Interior Minister Ögmundur Jónasson.
Activists from nearly 20 countries, including the UK, America,
Austria and Finland, said that Iceland’s moral reasons for the push
to censor Internet pornography is “justifying rather than
condemning the actions of totalitarian regimes.”
Critics – including Jillian C. York, Director for International
Freedom of Expression, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Sunil
Abraham, Executive Director for India’s Internet and Society
Center, and Ot van Daalen, head of the Dutch Bits of Freedom Center
– have described the controversial measure as “an affront to
basic principles of the society.”
They also argued that those advocating the Web porn ban have
offered “no definition, no evidence, and suggested no
technology.”
The authors of the letter warned that the prohibition of
pornographic content could create demand for an underground porn
industry, unregulated and most certainly affiliated with other
illegal activities, “as we have seen in the case of drugs or
alcohol prohibition. Hiding the problem is not a solution and may
in fact make things worse.”
The solution, according to the activists, could be better sex
education at home and schools: “Sex education that deals not
only with conception, contraception and sexually transmitted
diseases, but also relationships, communication and
respect.”
Iceland, known for its feminist policies, could become the first
Western country to censor online pornography, despite concerns over
who will be given the authority to choose what is banned.
“It is tempting to regard filtering the Internet as a quick and
easy way to restrict unwanted speech, opinions, or media, which the
government regards as harmful for either them or the people,”
the letter said. “The right to see the world as it is, is
critical to the very tenets and functions of a democracy and must
be protected at all costs.”
The activists claimed that it is technically impossible to censor
the Internet without monitoring all telecommunications with
automated machines: “This level of government surveillance
directly conflicts with the idea of a free society.”
Iceland is not the only European country that has tried to
implement such a ban. In December, the UK proposed blocking access
to all pornographic websites, but UK ministers rejected the idea
over a lack of public support.
According to supporters of the Icelandic ban, pornography has
unquestionably damaging effects on both children and women.
"We have to be able to discuss a ban on violent pornography, which
we all agree has a very harmful effects on young people and can
have a clear link to incidences of violent crime," Interior
Minister Jonasson, the author of the proposed ban, was quoted as
saying.
While Iceland has already passed a law banning the distribution and
printing of pornography, the proposed ban would eventually restrict
access to pornographic websites in the country, and make it
impossible to use Icelandic credit cards on X-rated sites.