Posted: 22nd Nov, 2005 By: MarkJ
The UK's secretary of state for trade, Alun Michael, has spoken of how minimal legislation and a close working relationship with business had helped to quell some of the Internet's problem areas:
Michael said that working with industry on the child porn issue in particular had achieved more in one year that legislation could have done in five - and at minimal cost.
"Light regulation is the way forward. And a partnership between government and industry, and government and the voluntary sector. If you get those relationships right, you can get further than with a top-down regulatory approach.
"Its not a soft approach, in many ways its a tough approach, but its one built on building relationships, building confidence and moving forward together."So much for the "soft approach", with Michael's fellow MP Margaret Moran recently demanding ISPs to come clean about whether they block access to abuse websites or risk being named and shamed.
Not a bad idea in some respects, but hardly "soft" =). More @
The Register.