UNITED KINGDOM—The Liberal Democrats have voted not to support David Cameron’s “opt-out” plan to deal with internet pornography, and instead have signaled support for “opt-in” measures already embraced by most UK internet service providers.
According to the BBC, “The policy was defeated at the party conference in Glasgow after some members called it ‘illiberal’ and suggested the controls would not work.”
The undermined plan will now go back to the Federal Policy Committee for redrafting, after which party leaders will decide if they want to “resubmit the stricter measures to party members for another vote at a later date, which they will have to do if they want to include the policy in its 2015 General Election manifesto,” reported the Express.
Arguments for and against the “opt-out” plan were made before the vote was taken. One supporter of the Prime Minister, former children's television presenter and Lib Dem peer Baroness Benjamin, told the legislators, “This motion is about protecting children from online pornography and inappropriate material—it's not about censorship or stopping adults from accessing legal material. Arguments about opt in, censorship or freedom of expression are simply not applicable here. This pandemic crosses a sacred line—although the internet is a wonderful resource, it also has a dark side."
But another Lib Dem, James Shaddock, countered with a “slippery slope” argument, saying, "To lump everything considered pornography or explicit is unfair. It overlooks the variety and diversity of us all and the diversity of content that the internet provides. Don't let us become the new Puritans of the 21st Century."
In the end, those in favor of a more open internet prevailed, setting the stage for either an escalation of verbal hostilities or a compromise.
