--- title: >- So you want to censor the Internet... date: 2014-02-11 18:39 modified: 2014-02-11 18:39 lang: en authors: rysiek tags: - ancient - censorship - internet status: published pinned: false --- Internet censorship proposals are tabled with amazing regularity -- and usually are completely detached from reality of how the Internet and digital communication works. For the proponents, censorship seems an ["easy and effective solution to a problem"](/en/94), while in fact [technical solutions to social problems simply do not work](https://habitualinquiry.wordpress.com/2013/02/06/technical-solutions-and-social-problems/), and have a tendency to break things. Badly. In preparation to one of the consultation meetings around this subject (even though [Polish political climate is rather hostile to censorship ideas at the moment](http://rys.io/en/109), we still get consultation meetings about it, from time to time) I have prepared a list of questions that have to be asked and answered regarding any ~~central-level parental filter~~ Internet censorship proposals ([PDF](/static/internet-censorship-questions.pdf) and [ODT](/static/internet-censorship-questions.odt) available; I'd like to thank Mr Adam Haertle for his suggestion on extending question no.11). If anybody feels like using this as a base for a [checklist](http://www.dmuth.org/fussp.html), please be my guest! Same goes for additions, suggestions, improvements. > **Internet censorship questions** > > This document attempts at gathering all the relevant questions that need to be asked and answered with regard to any proposal of introducing a central-level Internet porn censorship solution, and can be used as a map of the related issues that would also need to be decided on. > > Questions herein are for the most part not deeply technical and do not require an answer containing any concrete technical solutions. They also do not touch economy-related issues. > > `1. What definition of pornography is to be used in the context of the proposed solution? In particular:` > ` i. Are graphic works and animations not created via image recording techniques to be included in that definition?` > ` ii. Are textual works describing sexual acts to be included also?` > ` iii. Are audio materials to be included?` > ` iv. Are works of art containing or presenting nudity to be included? If not, how are they going to be differentiated?` > ` v. Are biology and sexual education materials to be included? If not, how are they going to be differentiated?` > > `2. Who is to decide on putting given content on the blocked content list? In particular:` > ` i. What oversight measures are proposed to combat instances of putting (willfully or by mistake) non-pornographic content on said list?` > ` ii. Will the blocked content list public, or secret?` > ` iii. If the list is to be kept secret, what are the reasons for doing so?` > > `3. How is the content to be blocked going to be identified? In particular:` > ` i. Is the content identification to be based on textual keywords within content itself?` > ` ii. Is it to be based on keywords in URL leading to content?` > ` iii. Is it to be based on an explicit blacklist of URLs?` > ` iv. Is it to be based on an explicit blacklist of domains?` > ` v. Is it to be based on an explicit blacklist of IP addresses?` > ` vi. Is it to be based on image recognition?` > ` vii. Is it to be based on audio recognition?` > ` viii. Is it to be based on checksum comparison?` > ` ix. Is it to be based on a combination of methods? If so -- which methods are to be employed?` > > `4. What remedy procedure is considered in case of blocking of content that does not fulfill the definition of pornography? In particular:` > ` i. Where and to whom such incidents are to be reported?` > ` ii. What would the confirmation or denial procedure for such reports be?` > > `5. What remedy procedure is considered in case of not blocking of content that does fulfill the definition of pornography? In particular:` > ` i. Where and to whom such incidents are to be reported?` > ` ii. What would the confirmation or denial procedure for such reports be?` > > `6. Are parents/legal guardians/subscribers to have control over the scope of blocking? In particular:` > ` i. Will they be able to indicate that given content should be excluded from blocking, even though it does fulfill the definition of pornography?` > ` ii. Will they be able to indicate that given content should be blocked, even though it does not fulfill the definition of pornography?` > > `7. Is the blocking solution to be opt-in, opt-out, or is the choice to be presented upon first connection? In particular:` > ` i. Is the choice going to apply to all devices using a given connection?` > ` ii. Is the choice going to apply only to a particular device on any connection?` > ` iii. Is the choice going to apply only to a particular device on a particular connection?` > > `8. Is the choice to enable blocking is to apply also to institutional subscribers and companies? In particular:` > ` i. If not, does that that mean no blocking, or mandatory blocking?` > ` ii. Is it to apply to libraries?` > ` iii. Is it to apply to schools?` > ` iv. Is it to apply to universities and other higher education institutions?` > ` v. Is it to apply to public hot-spots run by local communities?` > ` vi. Is it to apply to public hot-spots run by private service providers?` > ` vii. Is it to apply to hot-spots provided only for private service providers' customers?` > ` viii. Is it to apply to hot-spots run by private companies for their employees?` > > `9. Will content explaining how to circumvent blocking also be blocked?` > > `10. How is HTTPS or other SSL/TLS-encrypted traffic to be handled? In particular:` > ` i. Is HTTPS/TLS/SSL traffic to be ignored altogether?` > ` ii. Is HTTPS/TLS/SSL traffic to be blocked?` > ` iii. Is HTTPS/TLS/SSL traffic to have encryption layer broken and content filtered?` > > `11. How is private communication to be handled? In particular:` > ` i. Is e-mail and Internet messaging communication to be filtered?` > ` ii. Are peer-to-peer networks to be filtered?` > ` iii. Are MMS messages to be filtered?` > ` iv. Is private audio-video (including VoIP) communication to be filtered?` > ` v. Is private audio communication via regular and mobile phones to be filtered?` > > `12. How is encrypted private communication to be handled? In particular:` > ` i. Is such communication to be blocked?` > ` ii. Is such communication to be ignored?` > ` iii. Is such communication to have encryption layer broken and content filtered?` > > `13. Are solutions regarding HTTPS/TLS/SSL and private and encrypted private communication to be implemented in networks operated by institutional subscribers and companies, as per question 8. above?` ---- I'd love to see some answers to these questions from each and every person that proposes or supports central-level ~~parental filters~~ Internet censorship.