A report that will be voted on in the European Union parliament March 12 could lay the groundwork for laws banning pornography across all media — including the Internet — and could potentially restrict civil liberties, free speech advocates claim. The broader aim of the sweeping proposal, which was introduced by left-leaning parliamentarian Kartika Liotard of the Netherlands, is to foster gender equality in the EU by combatting gender stereotypes on many fronts. To that end, the opinion recommends a “ban all forms of pornography in the media,” including what it calls “the digital field.” It also calls for the establishment of regulatory agencies with “a mandate to impose effective sanctions on companies and individuals promoting the sexualisation of girls.” Although the vote on the report is not legally binding, if passed, the proposal could end up influencing EU law.
15 Feb.2013
05 Feb.2013

