Should a business be allowed to censor wifi on a religious basis?

[Mindmaster]

Some people brought up them getting sued for not blocking them but that doesn't make any sense, since you have to intentionally connect to a server to access any site. It's not like people accidentally type in the address for a very specific site then blame it on someone else. Doesn't really make sense.

Having worked with various businesses it's less about religion and more about money and bad press. Anyway, they're well within their rights even if I don't agree with them.

 

[SomeRandom]

It's like complaining about a magazine in the waiting room of a dentist office because it doesn't have a centerfold.

To be fair that is a rather grevious offence

 

[HonestJoe]

I'm pretty sure, that since this is a public space (since they invite the public in) they can't or at least shouldn't be allowed to censor things purely out of religious bias. After all they can't deny service to black people or Jews or whatever.

It isn’t quite the same thing. The site you tried to access won’t be available to Christians, Jews or atheists either (and they may well want to visit the site) so they’re not directly discriminating against you on the basis of your faith.

I suspect the list of blocked sites will be managed by their ISP rather than the store itself and it’s quite likely the ISP contract out that out to specialists themselves. To establish actual discrimination, you’d have to demonstrate that the reason for one site being blocked but not another is primarily down to a religious category rather than any other factors (however flawed or unfair they might happen to be).

Given the apparent inconsistency you mention between the LHP site being blocked but Satanist sites being available, I would suggest that this won’t be a case of wilful religious discrimination. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t bring it up with the company but I don’t think it would be fair for you to do that on any accusatory basis.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

But, that being said, the site he was accessing was "Occult" and chances that you are getting off that ban list are virtually zero.

Which is a huge problem, because even neo-Paganism would be using keywords such as Occult. Blocking a religious website just for being associated with the Occult is discrimination.

 

[Mindmaster]

Which is a huge problem, because even neo-Paganism would be using keywords such as Occult. Blocking a religious website just for being associated with the Occult is discrimination.

I agree, but the problem isn't with this company if you were to direct it to the right place. They are just running a protection slider-type deal and that's what happens. The problem is with whoever Cisco (the company that makes Merakai hardware) is getting these lists from. The only way to "get off the list" is to figure that out and petition them. (Making lists isn't their business line.) I don't have particular problems as classifying it is Occult, but find it bizarre that "cult" and "occult" are lumped in the same category. Secondly, one could test sites like Scientology, Jehovah's Witnesses, or even Wizard Forums. I wonder if the filter is being correctly applied.

However, TBF, OS identifies itself as "Occult" on the front page basically. Which would contrast it with forums like this that do not do that, but probably have much of the same content.

 

[Thief]

it then seems high tech has taken discrimination into a playing field so large

you can't run all the bases

 

[suncowiam]

I want all you naysayers to give me a real answer to either the mint or popcorn examples;

If you are giving out free mints after someone finishes a meal, should you be able to choose to deny black people and gay people the mints?

If a movie theater gave out popcorn to movie goers with no extra charge, should they be allowed to deny popcorn on the basis of race or religion?

If you think either situation is wrong, please tell me how then they are different from denying access to only specific types of religious sites when it's in a service, like the mints or popcorn, that are being denied?

This isn't about porn, or violence, or anything obscene. They are not comparable when the content is not objectionable in terms of content.

I was be absurd about the porn.

But since you said it's apples and oranges, that would then suggest the same about mints and popcorn. Use you own reasoning to answer yourself.

Oh, I'm sure churches do censor their WIFI. The core question that relates here is should they be able to?

I'll offer the same answer to a church as a business, yes, it's their WiFi.

 

[suncowiam]

it then seems high tech has taken discrimination into a playing field so large

you can't run all the bases

Hi Tech like anything else is just an extension of people. People makes the policies, not technology.

 

[Thief]

Hi Tech like anything else is just an extension of people. People makes the policies, not technology.

just try to sort it out

as you see here....the line drawn....
of money?
possession?
territory?
civil liberty?
moral code?
religious belief?

or someone's opportunity to place his belief like a stone in the path of others
(a forbidden practice noted in scripture)

 

[suncowiam]

just try to sort it out

as you see here....the line drawn....
of money?
possession?
territory?
civil liberty?
moral code?
religious belief?

or someone's opportunity to place his belief like a stone in the path of others
(a forbidden practice noted in scripture)

Sorry man, I lost you

 

[Twilight Hue]

Their wifi their right to censor. One does not go to Hardee's for the wifi. It is a free service they offer. Since they probably want to appear family friendly they block potentially offending sites.

Same way RF filters content. Good post.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Same way RF filters content. Good post.

Yep, this site is biased against a school of karate that I used to practice. I will cheat a little. It is called Sh!toryu. Or without the cheat ****oryu.

EDIT: It did it again!!

 

[averageJOE]

Although you are in a publicly accessible place, it is still a private business. The wi-fi is a courtesy, not an obligation. It's like if they had music playing and complaining that they won't put it on your favorite station or play your favorite song. Now if you were sitting quietly bothering no one while reading a LHP book and they tried to kick you out because of that then we would be on your side.