Ordinary Gweilo

The problem with Talkback (the SCMP’s 2nd letter column) is that they clearly don’t have enough material, and so they will print almost anything, however muddled or irrelevant.  Yesterday there was a marvellous example on the subject of the dodgy photos “scandal”: 

The widespread distribution on the internet of immodest photos of celebrities has generated controversy. I see this as an alarm bell, reminding us that we have to control indecent material on the internet.

A lot of indecent material on the internet appears on websites that are popular with teenagers. To protect youngsters and prevent their minds being corrupted by what they see, we must take measures to control the uploading of this material.

All website owners wishing to display any obscene material in Hong Kong should have to register first. These registered websites would have to indicate clearly that they contained indecent material, so that people were alerted and did not enter the sites unawares.

This would minimise the confusion surrounding certain websites and also make it easier for concern groups to censor them. People running websites accessible to the general public would be legally responsible for monitoring the material on them.

Unless a site was registered, the operators would have to ensure no obscene material appeared. It would be their responsibility to immediately delete any unsuitable material. Internet surfers could report any breaches of the regulations.

Adolescents may have misconceptions about sex, and they want to know more about it. The government should not just get tough with obscenity on the internet but also promote sex education in schools, so that young people can develop a healthy understanding of sex.

Emily Kong, Wong Tai Sin

I don’t know where to start.  What can you do with someone who thinks that Hong Kong can control or censor what goes on the Interweb?   

Not that the government doesn’t try.  Obviously websites outside Hong Kong are not subject to Hong Kong law, but it is theoretically against the law for a Hong Kong citizen to post a link to obscene material (which is bizarre when search engines will help you find whatever you want).  However, it seems that it is not illegal for the photographs to be sent by email, and presumably sending a link via IM would also be OK. 

Could Hong Kong websites be required to register in order to display obscene material?  Not really, because the law in Hong Kong does not allow obscene material to be published.  Not that it matters, because everyone in Hong Kong can access websites that are based overseas and which would not be subject to these rules.  

Ban the Interweb, that’s what I say.