BERLIN — German lawmakers have lifted an Internet child porn law after receiving criticism from the online community.
The 2009 proposal caused controversy because it required Internet service providers to block a list of child porn websites, compiled by Germany’s federal Criminal Police Office.
Critics of the proposal claimed that blocking such sites was "ineffective, counterproductive and represented the beginning of Internet censorship."
ASACP’s Executive Director Tim Henning agreed, saying that even though the organization supports tougher laws against child abusers, producers and consumers of Internet child pornography, censoring the Internet is not the answer.
“ASACP is against internet censorship in general and specifically as a way to fight Internet child pornography,” Henning told XBIZ.
“Censorship is simply not an effective means to combat this problem. Going after the producers and distributors as well as attacking their ability to host and bill for child pornography is the most efficient and effective means of combating this heinous crime.”
Henning said that the global community must stand together to send a clear message that the sexual abuse of children will not be tolerated by society.
The ASACP child pornography reporting hotline, as part of its procedures, notifies ISP's when a report is found to be child pornography and notifies relevant authorities and international hotlines.