[LINK] BBC: 'IWF backs down on Wiki censorship'

[Roger Clarke]

IWF backs down on Wiki censorship
Page last updated at 20:04 GMT, Tuesday, 9 December 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7774102.stm

The online watchdog, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), has 
withdrawn its objection to a Wikipedia page that contained an image 
of a naked girl.

The page of the online encyclopaedia shows an album cover of German 
heavy metal band Scorpions, released in 1976.

A number of internet providers blocked the page after IWF said it 
could be "potential illegal child sexual abuse."

The IWF now says that given the age and availability of the image, it 
was no longer on its list of proscribed sites.

Volunteers who run Wikipedia said it was not for the foundation to 
censor the site, which is one of the web's most popular.

They also argued that the image was available in a number of books 
and had never been ruled illegal.

In a statement on its website, the IWF said that the image could 
still potentially breach the Protection of Children Act 1978, but "in 
light of the length of time the image has existed and its wide 
availability, the decision has been taken to remove this webpage from 
our list."

Wikipedia volunteer David Gerard said he and fellow users were angry 
that as well as the photo, the text on the page had been blocked.

"Blocking text is a whole new thing - it's the first time they've 
done this on such a visible site," he said.

The IWF admitted that its attempts to prevent people seeing the image 
had been counter productive.

"IWF's overriding objective is to minimise the availability of 
indecent images of children on the internet, however, on this 
occasion our efforts have had the opposite effect. We regret the 
unintended consequences for Wikipedia and its users."

[What they really regret is the unintended consequences for IWF ...]


-- 
Roger Clarke                  http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/
			            
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Visiting Professor in Info Science & Eng  Australian National University
Visiting Professor in the eCommerce Program      University of Hong Kong
Visiting Professor in the Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre      Uni of NSW