Iceland considers blocking online pornography with China-like filter

ISTANBUL

Hürriyet photo

The Icelandic government has recently been considering banning access to online pornographic content by introducing an online filter reminiscent of China, the Daily Mail has reported.

Iceland's interior minister, Ogmundur Jonasson, has been working on legislation to prevent youths from accessing pornographic images and videos through computers, game consoles and smartphones.

"We have to be able to discuss a ban on violent pornography, which we all agree has a very harmful effects on young people and can have a clear link to incidences of violent crime," Jonasson has stated.

"At the moment, we are looking at the best technical ways to achieve this. But surely if we can send a man to the moon, we must be able to tackle porn on the internet," the political adviser to the Interior Minister said.

If the law passes, Iceland might become the first Western democracy to block internet porn.

The printing and distribution of pornography, as well as the running of strip clubs, are already forbidden in Iceland by law.