It appears that a new front has opened in the information component of the war against Islamist terrorism. French ISP’s have agreed to block subscriber access to sites containing a number of different sorts of content:
The Associated Press is reporting that all French ISPs have reached a deal with the national government to block subscriber access to content that includes child pornography, promotes terrorism, or fosters hatred. The plan would apparently involve a government-run blacklist of websites populated based on user complaints. Extreme content could also be forwarded to the judicial system in France or Interpol.
The validity of using a blacklist of user complaints depends on the users and how their complaints are treated and verified. Such a blacklist could be used to block genuinely objectionable content but it could also easily be used to block messages a small but vehement and coordinated minority might object to.
I neither read it nor link to it but is Jihad Watch a hate site? Is it likely to be blocked in France under the new agreement? If so, the Enlightenment is really and truly dead.
According to some, any blog or website that supports military actions or does not tow the multi-cultural/tranzist line is fostering hatred.
This deal is dangerous because it only relies on the good faith and integrity of relatively few persons.