Wikipedia Page No Longer Blocked In Britain

It’s over. The Guardian reports that the ban on a Wikipedia page discussing a Scorpions album cover is over, following a review by the Internet Watch Foundation, of its decision to place the page on its “censored” list because of an image on the page. A problem with the way the page had been listed resulted in unintended consequences: British users were unable to edit any Wikipedia pages. The IWF itself also received a great deal of criticism for its original action, since some Internet users did not understand why the page was deemed “potentially illegal,” and many commentators thought the action simply drew more attention to the album cover, which has been around for decades and has never been construed as obscene. The IWF is a private organization, and has no official standing in Britain, although it has been viewed as a watchdog group. Here’s more from Channel 4.