The Internet Watch Foundation has lifted its ban on a Wikipedia page and image of a record album cover showing a young nude girl, in an unprecedented move.The IWF also acknowledged has its initial ban had the reverse effect that it wished — and spread the image further around the net instead of removing it.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/dec/09/wikipedia-iwf-ban-liftedIWF backs down on Wiki censorship
The online watchdog, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), has withdrawn its objection to a Wikipedia page that contained an image of a naked girl.The page of the online encyclopaedia shows an album cover of German heavy metal band Scorpions, released in 1976.A number of internet providers blocked the page after IWF said it could be “potential illegal child sexual abuse.”The IWF now says that given the age and availability of the image, it was no longer on its list of proscribed sites.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7774102.stmIWF reverses Wikipedia webpage blockage: IWF statement
A Wikipedia webpage was reported through the IWF’s online reporting mechanism on 4 December 2008. As with all potentially illegal online child sexual abuse reports we receive, the image was assessed according to current UK legislation and in accordance with the UK Sentencing Guidelines Council (page 109). The content was considered to be a potentially illegal indecent image of a child under the age of 18, hosted outside the UK. As such, in accordance with IWF procedures, the specific webpage was added to the IWF list. This list is provided to ISPs and other companies in the online sector to help protect their customers from inadvertent exposure to potentially illegal indecent images of children.Following representations from Wikipedia, IWF invoked its Appeals Procedure and has given careful consideration to the issues involved in this case. The procedure is now complete and has confirmed that the image in question is potentially in breach of the Protection of Children Act 1978. However, the IWF Board has today (9 December 2008) considered these findings and the contextual issues involved in this specific case and, in light of the length of time the image has existed and its wide availability, the decision has been taken to remove this webpage from our list.
http://iwf.org.uk/media/news.251.htmWikipedia victory in Scorpions censorship row
An anti-child abuse watchdog has reversed its decision to blacklist a Wikipedia page showing a controversial 1976 album cover after protests over censorship.Most British internet service providers had blocked users from accessing the image of a prepubescent naked girl on the cover of the Virgin Killer album by the Scorpions, a German band, after the Internet Watch Foundation ruled it was a “potentially illegal indecent image”.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article5315345.eceBritish Dispute That Blocked Wikipedia Editing Is Resolved
A standoff between Wikipedia and a quasi-governmental British watchdog group over a 1970’s heavy-metal album cover was resolved on Tuesday when the group reluctantly lifted its ban on the image.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/british-dispute-that-blocked-wikipedia-editing-is-resolved/
IWF lifts UK Wikipedia ban
The Internet Watch Foundation has lifted its ban on a Wikipedia page and image of a record album cover showing a young nude girl, in an unprecedented move.