Comments on: EU Security Chief Says Searches For Bomb Making Should Be Blocked

By: Seth Finkelstein

Seth Finkelstein — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 03:35:59 +0000

It turns out this guy has been talking about this sort of censorship for a while now. Check out an extensive question-and-answers about it here: http://p10.hostingprod.com/@spyblog.org.uk/blog/2006/10/response_from_the_european_commission_regarding_the_policy_of_censoring_terroris.html

By: Danny Sullivan

Danny Sullivan — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 01:37:46 +0000

I did say if he tries to implement it as the story reports. It could be describing what he was talking about incorrectly. Sadly, though, I’ve seen too many politicians make really stupid, incorrect statements about how search engines do or should work that are like this.

By: Seth Finkelstein

Seth Finkelstein — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 01:07:05 +0000

Don’t write him off as an idiot based on a half-baked news report.

I’ll assume the guy is talking about some very serious proposals to have search engines participate in national blacklists.

I just wrote a somewhat related column on this about Australia’s censorware plan, which ALREADY includes bans on “detailed instruction in crime”, and talks about “terrorism and cyber-crime sites”.

By: JEHochman

JEHochman — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 23:56:21 +0000

Let’s block bomb making, illegal weapons, hijacking instructions, car bomb instructions, kidnapping instructions and all the other evil things we can think of while we’re at it…

What’s going to happen when 8,000 or 80,000 keywords eventually become taboo. “Diesel” and “Nitrogen fertilizer” can be used for bomb making. Should we block those? Who’s going to decide?

This idea is designed by a cynical politician to appeal to the public while serving no useful purpose. We need to resist this totalitarian rubbish.

By: Jordan Hughes

Jordan Hughes — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 22:29:34 +0000

I don’t think that is at all an unreasonable request. I realize that blocking one type (i.e. bomb making) of search will cause groups of all kinds to call for blocking of the various topics that they have deemed harmful to society. However, searching for ‘bomb making’ is a pretty blatant acknowldgement that the searcher is looking to blow something or someone up. If that search is made more difficult, then maybe a couple of lives could be saved here and there.