‘Voluntary’ code of practice
The Director of the Press Complaints Commission (who would no doubt be paid more if his remit covered blogs) says that he opposes government regulation of the internet, but that all blogs should submit to a ‘voluntary’ code of practice ((BBC News – Voluntary code for blogs ‘needed’)). No way. We already have laws designed to protect people from arbitrary abuse – they are called defamation and data protection. If something is accurate and does not violate someone’s privacy, then why the hell shouldn’t blogs print it. If the ‘voluntary code’ would not stop such material, then there is no need for it.
Tim Toulmin’s problem is that the 21st century makes organisations such as his increasingly irrelevant. The role of the PCC is to suppress lawful information which people find inconvenient – this is incompatible not just with the ease of dissemination that blogs offer, but with the greater trend towards freedom of speech in the world generally.