The European Parliament voted 460–0, with three abstentions, April 11 to oppose the use of filtering software by Internet service providers to regulate Web content. ISPs were encouraged, however, to continue with self-regulation, according to the europemedia.net online news service.
A statement issued by the parliament after the decision said that ministers “are concerned at recent moves to block access to certain Web sites. They argue that such drastic measures do not solve the problem of sites outside the European Union nor that of sites which are legal for adults but could be harmful to children or young people.”
Louisa Gosling, president of the European ISP Association, said that blocking is “technically difficult, democratically questionable, and undoubtedly inefficient.” The group prefers more effective ways of content control, “such as hotlines, rating systems, and, above all, the provision to the public of clear and accurate information on how they can control the information they see.”
Posted April 22, 2002.