Woo-hoo!! Government unblocks Forest website
Thursday, March 4, 2010 A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that Conservative party chairman Francis Maude had tabled a question in which he asked the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to explain why "websites featuring tobacco content are banned; if he will give examples of the types of tobacco sites which are banned; and whether the internet ban includes the Forest (Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco) website".
Hansard has just published the reply from Gerry Sutcliffe, MP for Bradford South and Minister for Sport in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It reads (wait for it):
Mr. Sutcliffe: The filtering software used by my Department has a standard range of categories that are blocked by default. Filtering is switched off for those categories that are directly related to the work of my Department, currently tobacco remains blocked. The tobacco category covers tobacco promotional websites such as www.marlboro.com.
The Forest (Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco) website was inadvertently covered by this category by default. It has been unblocked.
Woo-hoo!!
PS. To see what other sites the Department of Culture, Media and Sport blocks click HERE.
Reader Comments (11)
Good result Simon!
Yes - nice one, and congrats to all concerned !
And - while we're at it - do we REALLY need such an absurd Alice-In-Labourland office as the Department For Culture, Media and Sport ?
Especially when we don't even have one for Education...............
Innit ?
Hmmm...do they block www.smith-wesson.com, for example? What about www.mcdonalds.co.uk?
No? Oh, how about http://www.explosia.cz/en/, the makers of Semtex?
So, let me get this straight: they block www.malboro.com, but do not block guns, Big Macs and plastic explosives? Clowns!
Brilliant result! But I don't think the blocking was in any way inadvertent - if we don't keep our eyes open, this is the future for social and political free speech in Great Britain.
I see, so any mention of tobacco is placed firmly on a par with child pornography. You have a very good point Ano, there are far worse things to be enthusiastic about than a cigarette. One can only wonder which other special interest groups are practicing back door censorship and how long it will be before it becomes in your face censorship. Well done FOREST for dealing with this example, but my advice is to stay alert, this tactic is not going to go away.
Here's another Woo hoo!
http://bastardoldholborn.blogspot.com/2010/03/target-reached.html
Didn't we do well??
well done simon !....how pathetic this government is. But only a few weeks to go now....anything would be better than them, really anything
Let's not be too complacent about the forthcoming election. The only party I've heard of promising to review the smoking ban is the BNP.
Woo Hoo!! Chalk one up for free speech! Well done. Keep it up:-)
well done, so smokers have freedom of speach but no human rights it seems
double standards shown by Westminster when they have their own smoking room. SO WERE IS MINE. I am so tired of this nanny state.