Iceland May Ban Online Porn

https://mashable.com/2013/02/14/iceland-ban-porn/

by esalazar • 13 years ago

33 63 13 years ago

theorique• 13 years ago

I'm sure this will be successful. It's very similar to how sharing of movie and music files across the Internet is prohibited, and now no one gets movies or music without paying for them. Same thing with the War on Drugs - it's been so successful that no one takes any illegal drugs any more.

But seriously, has anyone in Iceland ever heard of a proxy?

jack-r-abbit2• 13 years ago

Is Iceland in some contest to become the saddest place on Earth?

stcredzero2• 13 years ago

There is a reason why the population is so literate. Huge swathes of the year have "curl up with a book" weather.

Does porn really always make you happy?

ImprovedSilence• 13 years ago

>> Does porn really always make you happy?

Are you asking while I'm watching it, or after...;)

lmm• 13 years ago

I wouldn't say it makes you happy, but it can make you less sad.

jack-r-abbit2• 13 years ago

I would not say "Porn makes me happy"... although the wife and I do enjoy watching a bit of porn from time to time.

I would say "A world that bans porn makes me sad."

icebraining4• 13 years ago

I could live very well without porn, but censorship certainly depresses me.

mozboz• 13 years ago

There's no source cited in the linked article other than The Daily Mail. For the unfamiliar, they're a British 'news outlet' who are notorious for writing articles that grossly misinterpret source data, to forward their own agenda.

TDL2• 13 years ago

From CNN Iternational: http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/15/tech/web/porn-ban-iceland/

justincormack2• 13 years ago

CNN citing the Daily Mail is not a more reliable source than the Daily Mail.

uvdiv3• 13 years ago

How about the Interior Minister's own website?

http://ogmundur.is/annad/nr/6578/

(In Google translation) he says porn is already illegal in Iceland (which it is [1], punishable by prison), and he's advocating more enforcement of this, with police resources.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornography_by_region#Iceland

nice map: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pornography_laws.svg

icebraining4• 13 years ago

That a minister would like it to be law doesn't mean Iceland "may soon" adopt it, at least for any reasonable interpretation of the expression. Mr. Jonasson isn't even part of the legislative branch, and his party is only the third in the Parliament.

theevocater2• 13 years ago

Just what citizens need: a the government watching everything you do! Regardless of how you feel about pornography or other "obscene" content, this kind of power will be abused. Even if Iceland, arbiters of good taste, manage to use it entirely within the given bounds, that kind of information could be pilfered and used by more malicious people. Even big tech focused companies are not immune to data theft, so why would Iceland do any better?

As the saying goes: let's collect data on how everyone in Iceland browses the web; what could possible go wrong?

nixy• 13 years ago

> Even if Iceland, arbiters of good taste, manage to use it entirely within the given bounds

Why would porn fall outside of the bounds for good taste, and where is the line drawn between fine art and porn? And who draws the line?

There is no need to go any further than the proposed law itself to find that it is wrong.

theevocater2• 13 years ago

While I happen to agree with you, I'm trying to make the point that even people emotionally invested in their hatred of pornography should see that this law is faulty. Even if we happened to disagree on the specifics of obscenity, this law is wrong.

Fzzr2• 13 years ago

How odd. I didn't think of Iceland as the kind of country to fall for this sort of hysteria - is this an old pattern there, or something recent?

reinhardt• 13 years ago

Well it goes back at least a few years, if not decades. Iceland may well claim the title of the world's most femin(az)ist country: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/mar/25/iceland-m...

ayding2• 13 years ago

The title is misleading. This isn't about to happen. One conservative legislator is making a proposal. You can probably write a headline like this for any number of crazy ideas in most countries.

Fzzr2• 13 years ago

Ah, I see. Looks like it's the personal position of one minister, there's nothing about widespread support for it in the populace or legislature. Nothing to see here, I guess.

papsosouid3• 13 years ago

>He argues that easy access to online porn increases the frequency and severity of sexual violence against women and causes longterm damage for children who view it at an early age.

Does he actually argue that, or does he just claim that? Wouldn't an argument come with some sort of evidence?

jlgreco• 13 years ago

Technically he could be forming a logical argument with only his personal opinion as backing axiom. It wouldn't be a good argument, but it would technically be an argument.

Not that this really matters. Evidence or "GTFO". Even then though that doesn't mean it is a valid plan. I could have all the evidence in the world that sending all men and women to separate prison camps would reduce domestic abuse, but that does not mean such a proposal, correct as it may be, is acceptable. I get that Iceland is their own country with their own laws and standards, but to my American sensibilities this seems to be clearly crossing the line.

In other words, you can form a real argument with undisputed facts, but even that is not sufficient.

coldtea8• 13 years ago

>Does he actually argue that, or does he just claim that? Wouldn't an argument come with some sort of evidence?

A society's standards, including moral standards, are not something that has to pass "evidence".

I find it silly that we ask to justify any and all decisions and laws a society takes with some deterministic, scientific evidence.

Do the "right to freedom" needs any evidence? In fact, there's no evidence at all for that, it's just a moral guideline. Scientifically, we could do the exact opposite.

Do we need "evidence" that black people are the same as white?

Or, (in a case where evidence tells us people are not as capable as us), do we need "evidence" to not treat the physically/mentally ill as inferior?

Do we need evidence that rape is traumatic? And what kind of evidence should that be? Maybe we should not believe it until we actually see changes in a brain scan in post-rape victims (then again, why assume those changes should be for the worst?). Surely trusting what they tell us is not enough -- personal feelings is no evidence.

Now, the case for "increased frequency of sexual violence" against women might, or might not, be quantified.

But the case for "longterm damage for children who view it at an early age" doesn't need to. Living as a society doesn't mean adhering as a robot to scientific notions and discoveries. It involves preferences, choices, and even risk. A society might prefer even a negative outcome, over what is considered healthier and better "scientifically" (E.g they might keep their customs re food , despite evidence that said food can be harmful or some other cusine is more nutricional. Or they might prefer to fight and die instead of collaborating with an invading army (which gives you the scientific benefit of being alive)).

lovek3236• 13 years ago

You make a great point. The purpose of law is not to uphold scientific principles, but to reflect and enforce the standards of society.

nostromo2• 13 years ago

You should read Sam Harris's "The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values" if you haven't already.

He writes convincingly (for me anyway) that moral discussions need not be arbitrary or driven by "gut instinct." Instead he proposes that a scientific approach to morality indeed would make us more moral.

pessimizer3• 13 years ago

If "easy access to online porn increases the frequency and severity of sexual violence against women" is a "moral standard" that doesn't require evidence rather than a claim of fact that does, then coldtea's access to the internet through throwaway accounts is contributing to the intellectual decline of the Western world. Also, mice are born from a peculiar mix of sawdust and wet hay.

papsosouid3• 13 years ago

>A society's standards, including moral standards, are not something that has to pass "evidence".

What are you talking about? He is making specific, factual claims, which I quoted. He is not saying "we should do this for moral reasons", he is saying "we need to do this because porn causes violence". There is no evidence that the claim he is using for justification is accurate. Yes, factual claims 'have to pass "evidence"', you don't get to just make shit up to push your personal beliefs on people.

Please take a little more time and care when reading people's posts before you respond to them. When your response is a long tangent based on ignoring the fundamental point of the post you respond to, it doesn't lead to constructive discussion.

electronvolt• 13 years ago

However, in both cases the official made a quantitative argument, not a moral one. Some of your examples also aren't convincing: there is a lot of evidence that after controlling for socioeconomic status and other similar factors, black and white people are the same, and that rape is traumatic (rates of depression, PTSD, etc. following it). And personal feelings actually are admissible evidence, if the questions you're asking are designed correctly. The 'right to freedom' and valuing people with physical or mental disabilities are moral issues, but they are also fundamentally different from the claims the official was reported to be making.

Something like 'longterm damage' is something that can be quantified and measured (correlation, at least). There are a variety of psychological examinations (such as those for trauma, underlying biases, etc.) that you could use to see if early (or earlier) self reported access to pornography in fact correlates to different mental/emotional states later in life. At that point you have quantified changes and can point to them and argue societal values.

The moral argument would be "Children should not be exposed to pornography simply because it is not suitable for people under (age)", not positing things about potential, unquantified 'longterm damage'. We can argue all day about the morals and societal expectations, and it's perfectly reasonable to do so with regards to pornography, but if someone makes a quantifiable argument, they should provide evidence to back it up, or a compelling reason as to why evidence isn't available and why acting without it is still important. (Such as how long it might take to get the evidence, or why it isn't possible to, or why there is a dire and immediate need to act before evidence can be gathered.)

seivan• 13 years ago

Singapore has done that, and it has very little rape cases. Which is cool for a small island of 5m.

Not sure if there is a correlation....

ayding2• 13 years ago

I bet it's more likely to do with the fact that the penalty is 20 years + fine and/or caning.

uvdiv3• 13 years ago

Japan has half the reported rape incidence of Singapore, and does not attempt to censor porn. Let's consider other factors before endorsing the methods of repressively religious police states.

http://www.heuni.fi/Satellite?blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobc...

(page 38)

justincormack2• 13 years ago

This is an unsubstantiated story from the Daily Mail which is not a news source.

Iceland is pretty pro free speech generally eg see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Modern_Media_Inst...

meaty2• 13 years ago

+1 about the Daily Mail. Harry Potter is more credible.

uvdiv3• 13 years ago

Substantiation:

http://www.dv.is/frettir/2013/1/22/vill-loka-klamid/ (Icelandic source, pre-dates Daily Mail tabloid by weeks)

http://ogmundur.is/annad/nr/6578/ (Interior Minister's viewpoint)

Porn is already banned in Iceland (punishable by prison!), so they're past the free speech arguments. The current discussion is about stronger enforcement. And if I understand correctly, extending criminal punishment to possessing porn, in addition to distributing or publishing it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornography_by_region#Iceland

Iceland and its free-speech friends:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pornography_laws.svg

meaty2• 13 years ago

Just because you make it illegal, doesn't mean it isn't going to happen.

lovek3236• 13 years ago

Of course not. That's why societies have things like police and prisons. Making it illegal is, of course, about reducing its prevalence, but it's also about society saying, 'these are our standards'. One will never stop all men from beating their wives, but I would not care to live in a society where it became legal.

nostromo2• 13 years ago

> He argues that easy access to online porn increases the frequency and severity of sexual violence against women

There's more evidence that porn reduces sex crime than increases it. (Obviously "more evidence" doesn't mean "is true.")

Slate had a good write up: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/everyday_economics/2006/1...

lovek3236• 13 years ago

Seems to me that this is the whole correlation and causation thing (a 'questionable cause' logical fallacy). There are probably great benefits that come from having access to the Internet. The question that needs to be answered here is whether or not having access to porn is a requirement. This has not been shown by /Slate/ in their article.

The article goes on to say that, because access to the Internet does not reduce the prevalence of homicide but does lower the prevalence of rape, having access to the Internet reduces rape.

Here are some other reasons rape might be down (just off the top of my head):

* As a society, we're getting better at catching rapists before they rape again (and before they rape the first time)

* Sex crimes are less acceptable than they were some years ago

* There is more help available for those who are prone to this type of crime

iopq• 13 years ago

"But surely if we can send a man to the moon, we must be able to tackle porn on the internet."

This man obviously underestimates Internet porn.

jtheory• 13 years ago

First comment on the article:

Edvin Dunaway 22 minutes ago

um guys, no.. I am an Icelander, and I'll have you know this: Iceland is not going to ban porn!

Ögmundur is just one guy, he does NOT represent Iceland in whole. he wrote a bill that he wanted to pass up for voting, and that bill hasn't even reached that stage yet and if it ever will, it will not pass.

also, Ögmundur is highly unpopular among Icelanders and he will not be a part of a new government after the upcoming election in spring.

mkhalil• 13 years ago

If it's voted on, go for it. It is bad for women IMO. Treats them as objects for the most part. Plum, men then get depressed because they expect life to be like a porno.

pessimizer3• 13 years ago

>men then get depressed because they expect life to be like a porno.

Romantic comedies make us 'unrealistic about relationships', claim scientists

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3776923/Romantic-com...

Next ban?

icebraining4• 13 years ago

What about porn made by women?[1] What about the millions of women who like and enjoy porn?

"Sorry darling, you can't do that, but it's for your own good!"

What we need isn't paternalistic censorship. If mainstream porn is bad - and I certainly agree it is - we need better porn, and more openness discussing it.

[1] http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/mar/22/porn-wome...

http://www.goodforher.com/feminist_porn_awards

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminist_pornography

Skoofoo2• 13 years ago

Even if Jonasson's claims are checked out by evidence, nannying a country's population by censoring offensive material is not the right course of action. You do not change public perception or progress society through censorship.

The internet is a new phenomena that has given individuals unprecedented power to indulge in all forms of media. Instead of arbitrarily obstructing information that they deem to be corrupting, the Icelandic government should recommend their citizens to learn the psychology behind desire and addiction [1], perhaps even Stoic philosophy [2], and how to set up a web filter for their children. They should trust that the adults of their country are generally smart enough to think for themselves and do the right thing; anything less is an insult to their intelligence and is likely to foster a mistrust of their government.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKDFsLi2oBk

[2] http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Good-Life-Ancient-Stoic/dp/01953...

lovek3236• 13 years ago

I really like social experimentation (to a sane degree, of course). Why shouldn't Iceland ban pornography (if it does so through a democratic process)? I'd quite like to see what happens.

Skoofoo2• 13 years ago

Iceland shouldn't ban pornography because that is forcing someone's personal value upon a whole country based on questionable reasoning. "[Ogmundur Jonasson] argues that easy access to online porn increases the frequency and severity of sexual violence against women and causes longterm damage for children who view it at an early age." As another commenter mentioned, there is more evidence that porn reduces sexual violence, and it is easy and free to set up a porn filter for children.

I am not arguing that porn is a good thing, but that it's not a government's job to force their subjective moral values upon people by telling them what information they are not allowed to see.

If you want to see what happens in a country when porn is banned, there are already many examples. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pornography_laws_by_co...

rdl• 13 years ago

Kind of ironic that Iceland is on one hand being held up as the freedom/free speech haven of the world, and on the other hand they want to ban porn. I suspect this is just one whacko politician, not the mainstream, though -- most of the Icelandic people I know are fairly pro porn :)

drucken• 13 years ago

The source of this article is quoted as the Daily Mail, UK tabloid newspaper.

I should point out that the Daily Mail has had an anti-porn campaign called "Block Online Porn" since at least April 2012.

The Daily Mail's primary audience is lower middle class, conservative, middle-aged women.

It is not considered an objective, or even credible news source, even within the UK.