Internet filters have become surprisingly popular, given that the internet was already wildly popular before anybody started to filter it. The UK has recently joined the growing list of countries that encourages self-censorship, with British ISPs asking new customers if they want ‘family friendly’ filters to be applied to their service. This has caused a predictable clash of opinions about freedoms. Whilst the public debate focuses on high-minded principles, it is easy to overlook the genuine and practical costs of filtering the internet. Whenever somebody decides what should be blocked – a decision that needs to be made for every single website – there are significant and practical costs, to both ISPs and to people who use the internet to communicate with other people. You can read more in my new article for BillingViews.
The Real Cost of Internet Filters
Internet filters have become surprisingly popular, given that the internet was already wildly popular before anybody started to filter it. The UK has recently joined the growing list of countries that encourages self-censorship, with British ISPs asking new customers if they want 'family friendly' filters to be applied to their service. This has caused a predictable clash of opinions about freedoms. Whilst the public debate focuses on high-minded principles, it is easy to overlook the genuine and practical costs of filtering the internet. Whenever somebody decides what should be blocked - a decision that needs to be made for every single website - there are significant and practical costs, to both ISPs and to people who use the internet to communicate with other people. You can read more in my new article for BillingViews.
The Commsrisk Global Fraud Dashboard
Our Global Fraud Dashboard uses AI-powered search to collate, update and visualize data about scams and other network abuses from around the world. New charts are added each month. See it here.
