Proposed UK Online Libel Rules Would Restrict Anonymous Posting

judgecorp writes "A Parliamentary Committee in the UK has suggested that sites should be protected against libel claims against contributors — as long as those contributors are identified. Anonymous postings should be taken down if someone complains of libel in them, in a set of proposals which online community groups have described as 'chilling.'"

Re:What does this mean for non UK sites?

[mcavic]

No, the UK can't force anything on a site hosted outside the UK. They can block the traffic inside the UK, with varying degrees of effectiveness (see China, Egypt).

The Members of this Comittee are Pedophiles

[Anonymous Coward]

The members of this parliamentary committee are pedophiles.

Sincerely,

-Anonymous

P.S.: Oops, sorry. I meant "pædophiles."

Re:Don't make US free speech arguments

[drinkypoo]

The idea is that you are free to say anything - but not free to cause harm to others without compensating them.

No, the idea is that the powers that be should be able to clamp down on unpopular speech, which is why the truth is not a defense in libel cases on that side of the pond, and it's one reason why speech is provably less free in Britain than in America. Over here, if you engage in speech specifically designed to do harm, it is only libel if it is false. In England, it doesn't matter if you're shouting the truth or shouting a lie, if it's inconvenient to the status quo, it's illegal.