So Ireland is now policing the EU Interwebs.

Good luck to ’em.

What concerns me about this is the incredibly hazy definitions.  In fact I can’t find any hard and fast rules anywhere.

Take for example “illegal information”.  For a start information in itself is just words so do they mean libel?  Or does it apply say to shops selling something illegal?  An advertisement about the sale of guns might be deemed illegal though in fact it wouldn’t be.

Way back in the mists of time I bought a rifle.  The process was simple – I bought and paid for the gun, took the receipt with full details including serial number and got a licence.  Only then could I collect my purchase.  So there is nothing about advertising guns provided they aren’t offering home delivery [which would circumvent the law].

There are also advertisements about televisions for home delivery.  In theory I must have a licence to own a television, so home delivery [without proof of licence] is theoretically circumventing the law.  A TV is slightly different from a rifle but in law the principle is the same.  Should any shop offering televisions therefore be deemed illegal?

Then there is the murky area around “misinformation” and “disinformation”.  They are basically the same thing but the latter is a deliberate attempt to spread some information whereas the former is just putting the information out there.

The climate thing is a good example here.  If I say the whole “man made global warming” thing is a scam, is that misinformation?  I would claim that it’s my informed opinion and the opinion of many others, but it goes against the current orthodoxy and might then be classed as mis- [or dis-] information?

The information thing is the most problematic.  They seem to be relying on public feedback to discover “illegal” content which probably means they will be swamped with idiots moaning about items that offend the reader’s delicate sensibilities.

I wish them luck!