Filters_are_useless

I oppose the proposed Web filter scheme because it will be of no practical value, and because of the important principle that it violates. The practical side: any internet-savvy child can get around the filter within minutes, so its value in technical terms is nil. In addition, as many people have already said, you can't possibly catch all illegal material using just a filter. The criminals are 10 steps ahead of this idea already. The principle: I believe that, with this proposed filter, the Government is on completely the wrong track. In a democratic and free society, it is _not_ the Government's job to _prevent_ illegal things from happening. This is what totalitarian states do. It _is_ the Government's job to define what's illegal, educate the public about it, and then catch and punish (appropriately!) any offenders. People then have the ability to make an informed choice about their activities, and can exercise their own moral judgment. If they disagree with the Government about the legality of any activity, they have the democratic right to vote in a different Government that will change the law. But attempting to prevent illegal activity is the height of folly: it's impossible, and it brings us down to the level of the worst sort of dictatorial Communist regimes. The whole idea is bad - fundamentally the wrong approach. It won't work on a practical level, and it's not what Government is for.