RMT, ICANN and XIN NET TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION

[Kosmos992k]

Yeah, let's let government censor even more what they want. This same line of thinking got American's the Patriot Act and now Canadians Bill C51. The terrorizers gonna all get us.

Also cyber crime is still illegal.

Hyperbole aside, what is your point? I'm talking about finding a way to enforce existing laws in meaningful ways online, it has nothing to do with censorship. honestly I wish that the paranoia surrounding regulation and lawn enforcement online would learn to look at reality and what is said instead of immediately assuming that anyone suggesting enforcing existing laws online is requesting a return to the East Germany of the Soviet era.

As I pointed out (as has Kyuven) the problem is not whether things are illegal, for example , in the USA. The criminal committing the offense will more than likely be hidden behind a foreign hosted proxy, with a foreign based server, and be a foreign national themself. So, despite the fact that whatever horrible thing they did online is illegal here, it's not illegal where they are, so what do you do then? For that matter, even if they were in the US, or the EU, the law there still hasn't figured out how to handle online offenses properly, even just enforcing existing laws is pretty patchy.

If someone in another country where there are no laws governing what is done online decides to stalk you, steal your identity, slander and smear you, and harass you with threats, there is currently next to nothing you can do to prevent it, or bring them to justice. How is wanting to fix that issue censorship or related to things like the Patriot Bill?

Seriously, put the hyperbole cannon away and focus on the point of the topic - which relates to how do you stop RMT and other online scams without some form of international accord among law enforcement that covers the online world?

[kyuven]

ｓnip

There IS one legitimate concern that could extrapolate to censorship:
Just as an example, in China there are a lot of banned materials. Even though it's the absolute height of hypocrisy to do so, China could use international law enforcement to persecute people in other countries producing materials banned in their own country.
Admittedly this is a simplified example, but it's something that could happen when it comes to "obscene" images, especially as the Japanese constitution explicitly forbids the distribution of "obscene" materials.
You would need a legion of lawyers from every single country to draft up what can and cannot be prosecuted.

[Kosmos992k]

There IS one legitimate concern that could extrapolate to censorship:
Just as an example, in China there are a lot of banned materials. Even though it's the absolute height of hypocrisy to do so, China could use international law enforcement to persecute people in other countries producing materials banned in their own country.
Admittedly this is a simplified example, but it's something that could happen when it comes to "obscene" images, especially as the Japanese constitution explicitly forbids the distribution of "obscene" materials.
You would need a legion of lawyers from every single country to draft up what can and cannot be prosecuted.

I agree with you, I don't know what the answer to that concern is, all I know is that doing nothing isn't helping the world. Certainly I do not want to see any censorship or police state like action. But at the same time, there must be some middle ground that we can find that allows better protection for regular, everyday people and their online activity.

[Miitan]

If someone in another country where there are no laws governing what is done online decides to stalk you, steal your identity, slander and smear you, and harass you with threats, there is currently next to nothing you can do to prevent it, or bring them to justice. How is wanting to fix that issue censorship or related to things like the Patriot Bill?

Let's say that a country makes it illegal for men to show their bare chest, even in a virtual world. I'm assuming you'd be perfectly ok with being put into jail for wanting to be a topless Roegadyn? Just because we don't like something, doesn't mean that we should go around making things illegal. Heck, I'd make it illegal for people to play Hyur because they're so boring.

[Kosmos992k]

Let's say that a country makes it illegal for men to show their bare chest, even in a virtual world. I'm assuming you'd be perfectly ok with being put into jail for wanting to be a topless Roegadyn? Just because we don't like something, doesn't mean that we should go around making things illegal. Heck, I'd make it illegal for people to play Hyur because they're so boring.

You'd be surprised what is illegal or legal in other countries, that is why we have international agreements on law enforcement to ensure that situations like you describe do not come to pass.

Ah well, I guess you'd rather nothing be done, I shall never understand people content to sit on their hands when something needs to be done.