National Online Porn Filters Installed and Porn Tax Considered   - 3,378 Views,

The Danish government has just announced a collaboration between the Danish police and Danish Internet service providers to set up a national filter designed specifically to block any adult-themed content involving children. In addition, it will warn those users who run into the filter that they are attempting to access illegal material. According to the Danish news site DR, Danish providers are already blocking 10,000 attempts to access illicit material a day.

Denmark’s neighbor across the way, Sweden, has had a national porn filter in place since May, and reports that it is a great success. Sweden’s filter, in turn, was based on the filter introduced by neighbor Norway back in September of 2004, and developed by Norwegian company Telenor.

“In Norway, we have received a lot of positive feedback from our well-functioning and efficient cooperation with the police service. We are therefore pleased to be able to offer the same solution in Sweden, thereby contributing to prevent further distribution of child pornography on the Internet,” said Moniqa Løfstedt, head of information at Telenor.

Closer to Aunty’s home, the United States government is considering not a national porn filter, but a national porn tax.

Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln, of Arkansas, will be introducing a bill this week which would levy a whopping 25% Federal tax on adult websites which operate for profit. Revenue from the tax would be earmarked for law enforcement and for “protecting children from Internet-related crimes.”

Isn’t taxing a legitimate, if unpopular, Internet business site 25% an Internet-related crime?