'Extreme' Web Sites Under Fire From UK Police

An anonymous reader writes "A conference on electronic crime, taking place in London this week, has thrown up some interesting news. Britain's top hi-tech police officer has demanded a crackdown on Web sites devoted to 'abhorrent' subjects such as cannibalism and necrophilia. What happened to freedom of expression online?"

But... but...

[Anonymous Coward]

When cannibalism is outlawed, only outlaws will be cannibals!

... and in a related story...

[cookiej]

I especially liked the cannibalism article that linked off this one -- and ended with:

"Meiwes made a video of the event, which was shown to the court during a closed session. He could be released early for good behaviour."

I assume good behaviour would be that he kept his napkin in his lap next time.

uh...

[borgdows]

I want to judge by myself...

Can you post the URL of the 'abhorrent' sites please? :p

Just get to it...

[Lord_Frederick]

"The Internet is no place for people looking for 'perverse gratification', claims the police officer leading the UK's fight against e-crime."

Apparently they think that anyone who is attracted to corpses should not waste their time online and go straight to the real thing!

Whew!

[Anonymous Coward]

Good thing I only visit those "Extreme Linux" sites..!

Oh well

[Anonymous Coward]

First they came for the Cannibals
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Cannibal.
Then they came for the Necrophiliacs
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Necrophiliacs.
Then they came for the anarchists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade anarchists.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

Heh

[Bishop, Martin]

"What happened to freedom of expression online?" I think Microsoft patented it [slashdot.org]

Oh no!

[Anonymous Coward]

Where will I get my info on cannibalism now?!?!

Why is this a surprise?

[Anonymous Coward]

We're talking about the United Kingdom here...heck..they don't even have freedom fries [cnn.com] there, how do you expect them to have freedom?

dry

[tverbeek]

Hynds' statement may also anger those who believe that one of the Web's great strengths is that it accommodates such a wide range of interests, free from censorship.

Ah, that British penchant for understatement.

Leave them alone

[Brad Mace]

The more time they spend working on some website no one's ever going to look at, the less time they have for actually *doing* weird creepy stuff. I say 'leave their websites alone.'

Better block www.amazon.com.uk

[LittleGuy]

Britain's top hi-tech police officer has demanded a crackdown on Web sites devoted to 'abhorrent' subjects such as cannibalism and necrophilia.

burp..... [amazon.co.uk]

You got it wrong

[imsabbel]

Then they came to get me,but
Fist the anarchists killed me,
then the Necophiliacs fucked me,
then the Cannibals eat me,
and there was no one left for them to get...

Necrophiliac Cannibal?

[MooseByte]

So is a necrophiliac cannibal someone who plays with their food before they eat it?

Re:What happened to freedom of expression online?

[Lord Graga]

In France it's acceptable for a TV ad for shower gel to show a naked woman soaping her breasts.

URL???

Re:Duh

[nearlygod]

I think he means teachers.

This is completely understandable...

[somethingwicked]

I hope everyone takes this VERY seriously.

Sit down some day and actually TALK to a victim of cannibalism or necrophilia.

The things they tell you will change you forever

It's just discussion

[HarveyBirdman]

I am sure it is only a legal concept in the US.

You need to follow it, though. It also allows us to discuss and express opinions on actions in other countries. It's just some geeks bantering about concepts of free expression. I wouldn't worry about it.

And if you think that you really have free speach in the US try having a discussion on paedophilia and see how far you get.

You might want to contact NAMBLA. That's exactly what they do, and yet they continue to freely exist even though a lot of people know about them via stand up comedy and South Park episodes.

but the subject is so highly charged that you risk being pilloried just for mentioning it.

What are you talking about? It's discussed constantly on the TV and radio when a big case erupts (Michael Jackson being the current archtype).

Now, if you're at a party and perhaps express the opinion along the lines that you think its an idea whose time has come, yeah, you might get some less than enthusiastic responses.

Re:cannibalism and necrophilia?

[Mark Round]

It's what's known as "eating your cake and having it too"....

Re:What happened to freedom of expression online?

[radish]

Try this [expedia.com]

I eat my toenails

[Anonymous Coward]

There. Now, Slashdot will be banned because I talk about cannibalism.

Re:Duh

[proj_2501]

"The law in the UK works the same way as it does in the UK as regards the burden of proof."

Of course it does, Cap'n Obvious!

Re:But... but...

[Tablizer]

When cannibalism is outlawed, only outlaws will be cannibals!

In Soviet Russia, only cannibals eat you, I mean only you eat cannibals, I mean cannibals eat Soviets.......damn, I am fricken confused here. Trolling with cliches used to be so easy.

Re:... and in a related story...

[GNUALMAFUERTE]

Well, That's very easy Mr. Censor; just post thouse links here, just reply to this message!
Your Sites will be Slashdotted! :)

Re:Umm .. There is a World outside of the US

[Clemence]

I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to mis-attribute this quote to Voltaire.
-- Avram Grumer, rec.arts.sf.written, May 2000

You Cooked My Date!!!

[Dareth]

Least we don't have to worry about these two groups banding together to make this legal.

I have the perfect solution...

[Anonymous Coward]

But a clampdown on sites devoted to subjects such as cannibalism could be all but impossible to enforce.

Post the URL's on /. and see them taken down within minutes!

Re:Just get to it...

[Hentai]

"The Internet is no place for people looking for 'perverse gratification'"

What internet is HE using, and how do I avoid it?

Re:You Cooked My Date!!!

[Tackhead]

> You Cooked My Date!!!
>
>Least we don't have to worry about these two groups banding together to make this legal.

Never underestimate the power of a FOX executive in search of a new reality TV show.

Cannibalism and Your Teen

[future assassin]

Check out this real life story Cannibalism and Your Teen [zed.cbc.ca]

Abhorrent sites

[Anonymous Coward]

www.microsoft.com
www.sco.com

Well, I think they're abhorrent...

Re:... and in a related story...

[ThePlague]

In high school, a priest once told the class that there were two, count them, two, miracles occuring to the eucharist: ordinary bread and wine were being transformed into the body and blood of christ, and that they still appeared to be still ordinary bread and wine.

I'm a recovering Catholic, too. There ought to be a support group.

What happened to freedom of expression online?

[Anonymous Coward]

It got partially eaten then made love to.

Re:Your taboos may vary...

[Tackhead]

> Intrinsically, it's not. In some contexts, it is. If a lady went to a funeral and whipped off her shirt, that would be indecent.

Note to self: Add line to last will and testament instructing the executor to hire strippers.

Re:But... but...

[niko9]

Reminds me of a old joke:

Two cannibals eating the corpse of a clown.
One cannibal looks at the other and asks,
"Hey, this meat taste funny to you?"

--

Re:... and in a related story...

[G-funk]

Their position has to be understood in terms of the medieval philosophical doctrine of accidental and esstential properties, which in turn derives from platonic idealism. From a modern positivist standpoint these statements are meaningless.

AAAARGH! Art-student bullshitspeak overload!

* g-funk runs screeming into the hills*

Re:... and in a related story...

[dandelion_wine]

It's not always an aggressive act. Certain tribes used cannibalism as a means of familial respect. "You don't want to eat your uncle -- you're going to put him in the ground for the worms??? You must really have hated him."

Plus, what else are you going to eat at a funeral? Think of it as a theme dish.