[Chapter-delegates] some positive news from Germany

[Hans Peter Dittler]

Hello all,

Germany introduced in late summer 2009 a law forcing ISPs to filter web-access based on a secret list compiled by a special police unit.
This list should have listed only child-abusing sites outside of Germany, inside Germany take-down should have precedence.
The law was passed by parliament but immediately put into suspension before being executed at all by the then newly elected government.

Since then many in the Internet engaged parties in Germany tried to make pressure to take down this law.
Most of them feared later extensions of the law into other areas of interest outside the immediate abuse area, some of them were already under lively discussion while the law was passed.

Yesterday the German government decided to take down this law.
The decision still has to pass parliament, but this should only be a formal process in this case.
While doing this the government clearly indicated to favor take-down over blocking.

I hope this decision will be read very carefully by other governments in Europe and also by EU, as there are still many voices requesting filtering on a broad base.


Hans Peter Dittler
Member of the board
ISOC.DE
Internet Society German Chapter e.V.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://elists.isoc.org/mailman/private/chapter-delegates/attachments/20110406/07ac7b7d/attachment.htm>