David Cameron Wants To Shut Down Porn Sites Because Kids Are Clever Enough To Defeat Age Restrictions

by Mike Masnick
Techdirt
Aug. 03, 2015

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has been using "porn" moral panics as a wedge issue to ramp up censorship and control over the internet in the UK. He's been pushing aspects of it for years, including demands for the impossible: filters that block "bad content" but allow "good content." Yes, it does seem bizarre that someone in as powerful a position as David Cameron sees the world in such a black and white way, but remember, this is the same guy who bases his defense of more spying powers on what happens in fictional TV crime dramas.

His latest plan? Well, he's insisting that he's going to shut down porn websites if they don't guarantee to keep out everyone under the age of 18. Yes, many sites have some age controls, but kids aren't stupid and can usually figure out a way around them. And that's always going to be the case. And it's been the case since pornography existed. I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that it's quite likely that David Cameron himself first came across pornographic material long before his 18th birthday.

This whole plan seems like something designed to shut down websites... because kids are clever enough to get around basically any age restriction system. Anyway, it looks like Dan Bull may need to add a new verse to his musical open letter to UK Porn Minister, David Cameron: