Wikipedia; UK is blocking Scorpions cover
UPDATE ON THIS ARTICLE HERE
About 95 percent of the British internet users are not able to get to a certain page of Wikipedia – in which you can see information about an album of the German band “the Scorpions”; Virgin Killer….
The album cover had a picture of a young (prepubescent) girl – naked – with a crack (of glass) covering her genitals.
The UK based “Internet Watch Foundation” put this page on their black list and as result many major internet providers are blocking this page. AND because of that – the UK based internetters are also not able to edit wikipedia pages anymore….
My opinion…?? Well; I saw the picture….. I do understand the FIRST reaction of the “I.W.F.”…. On the other hand; this is an album cover – which was already controversial at his release in 1976….. So it certainly has a journalistic value…. and the picture has never been forbidden by anyone/any country/any organization…. A new cover has been used in (for example) the USA….
But my main problem is; nothing illegal is happening – and who are those internet providers to decide to block this information…??
This is free information – even has journalistic value…..
Bad taste of album cover..?? Oh yes – in my opinion it is….. but if I would be able to decide to block this = I would not !!
Over here the explanation of Wikipedia/IWF etc… !!
Crazy! Don’t block it if it’s not illegal, and an independent judge needs to determine if it’s illegal, not some foundation…
Something similar, and more serious, is happening in other countries including The Netherlands. Some providers block websites that are on a list provided by the police. The police says they contain child pornography. Great, you want to fight child pornography, but you can’t just ignore the justice system.
The material needs to be judged if it’s illegal, then it can be blocked, and it needs to be done by an independent judge. Black lists provided by the police… that happens in police states, and should not happen in a free and democratic one. It shows you where we’re heading..!
But, no one seems to care that our democratic justice system is in decline. We, or our children and grandchildren, will pay a price for this. If this trend continues, we will be thrown back into a new, very Dark Age where tyrants rule and democracy and justice are distant memories, almost forgotten…
The image is L1 or L2, it is indecent in the UK and illegal as per PoCA and SOA 2003. There is no artistic exception, legislation retroactive. The photo is illegal, no innocent possession in the UK either.
Thanx Tazia for your reaction…
But your “illegal” is based on what source..?
As wikipedia is stating that this is NOT a forbidden picture…. but the decision is just based on a
Because that would mean that amazon.co.uk is also doing illegal stuff…..
Some people THINK that certain things are illegal; but even a law of a country can be illegal if a higher court is looking into it.
And even if it IS illegal; is the UK Government allowed to BLOCK this? The picture is hosted on a server outside the UK..??
And also an important question; do you think it is an illegal act..??
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The statement of Tazia shows you how the understanding of the justice system has deteriorated. The picture is called ‘illegal’, supported by mentioning some laws. The necessary step to find out if it’s really illegal, Wikipedia *and* Amazon.co.uk are brought in court where they can defend themselves and an independent judge determines if any laws are broken, is not mentioned at all…
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