I read in the irish Independent this morning that the Irish Govt has appointed an “Internet Czar” – someone to keep us all safe on the Internet.
John Laffan is due to take up his role as the director of the Office for Internet Safety (OIS) next month.
Justice Minister Brian Lenihan said that Mr Laffan would help to develop programmes and policies designed to make the internet a safer place.
Phew! I feel so relieved now.
In fairness to the Government, people often criticise them for a lack of foresight and for not planning ahead. In this case, with Ireland having one of the most expensive, slowest and lowest uptake of broadband in the OECD the government is obviously planning for a time when the Irish people have Internet access.
Good on them, I say. But wait, this is yet another position with no authority:
Although it will have no power to fine internet service providers, Mr Lenihan said that he would not hesitate to provide the OIS with “legislative teeth” if necessary.
Why bother create the position, if it is a powerless one? What a waste. Again.
Never mind the health system, or the total lack of any investment in ICT in education (or the total lack of investment in education), as long as Bertie stops the tribunals asking searching questions and we have an Internet Czar, all will be well in the world.
With any luck they will soon appoint a Book Czar to make books safe for us too. Some people like that awful Roddy Doyle use terrible language in their books. And what about a People Czar? Don’t the government know that all over the world there are people walking around completely naked under their clothes?
We need to keep the children safe.
What cretin came up with this silly idea?
An Irish solution, to an Irish problem, a scapegoat. Or better pronounced as ‘escape’ goat. In an effort to escape responsibility, and accountability.
I do prefer it when accountability is in the hands of individuals and responsible parents.
I wonder is this a role that is in place to recommend an end to Net Neutrality. It would seem a better way to bring in the legislation if it was for our safety.
More like a job for one of the boys. Having no teeth means he won’t actually have to DO anything apart from blathering.
I thought the government was already keeping us safe from the internet by making sure that most of us can’t get broadband.
History shows that we do in fact have many Book Czars to make books safe for us! I suspect the longest-serving extant example is the Inquisition (initially the “Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Universal Inquisition”, later the “Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office”) and now the “Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith”. In Ireland, the Censorship of Publications Act, 1929 is still on the statute book; and it established a Censorship of Publications Board that is still in business. Of course, their establishment is entirely misguided, but their continued existence demonstrates once again the ongoing desire of powers that be to regulate and control.