7.29.2008
Protecting Adults from the Occult (and Atheists)
In England, the Birmingham City Council is coming under fire for a new web-filtering policy that blocks access to atheist and Pagan sites, but allows free access to mainstream Christian, Islam, and Hindu web sites.
"The authority's Bluecoat Software computer system allows staff to look at websites relating to Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and other religions but blocks sites to do with "witchcraft or Satanism" and "occult practices, atheistic views, voodoo rituals or any other form of mysticism". Under the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, it is unlawful to discriminate against workers because of their religion or belief, which includes atheism."
Bluecoat Software manufactures K9 Web Protection, which, like other cyber-nanny programs, is designed to protect children from "unwanted" Internet content. Some of these programs have an "occult/cult" option which blocks sites that Christian parents might find troubling. It looks like Bluecoat and the Birmingham City Council may have decided that their employees were children as well, or simply didn't care what got filtered so long as they can easily "monitor internet usage".
"We are currently implementing new internet monitoring software to make the control of internet access easier to manage. The aim of this is to provide greater control for individual line managers to monitor internet usage, and for departments, such as trading standards and child protection, to gain access, if needed, to certain sites for business reasons."
The National Secular Society has called the new filtering software "discriminatory", and said that they would "consider legal action" if steps aren't taken to correct the issue.
"National Secular Society president Terry Sanderson said the city council's rules also discriminated against people who practise witchcraft, which is also classed as a legitimate belief. He said the society would initially contact the council and ask for the policy to be changed, and otherwise pursue legal action. He said he believed he would have a "very strong case". Mr Sanderson said: "It is discriminatory not only against atheists but they also are banning access to sites to do with witchcraft. "Witchcraft these days is called Wicca, which is an actual legitimate and recognised religion."
A "very strong case" indeed considering the fact that this is a government-run facility, and beholding to stringent anti-discrimination policies. Either all access to religious sites need to be banned, or the infantilizing software must go.
Labels: atheism, discrimination, Internet, occult, Paganism, UK
Comments:
The employers might be afraid that their underlings first decide there's no go, and then that there's no boss. Or they fear the dissemination of voodoo practices that could cause serious harm for management.
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The employers might be afraid that their underlings first decide there's no go, and then that there's no boss. Or they fear the dissemination of voodoo practices that could cause serious harm for management.
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