UK Porn Block Could Be a Ticking ‘Privacy Timebomb’

I'll never understand the British tolerance of ubiquitous surveillance. The CCTV regime is appalling and makes me never want to visit. The Internet censorship by government is absurd, patronizing and infantilizing. (Yes, I'm familiar with the argument that it is "voluntary" since private carriers choose to implement it). Americans at least have a nominal demand for these sorts of civil liberties and raise some kind of objection to these things. Do folks in the UK feel differently? How could such draconian measures have appeared in a free society?

None of this was ever really required. All that was required was:

1) Make a law requiring all websites that allow user contributed content to enable RTA headers within {n} period of time.

2) Then make a law requiring all browsers and web apps look for that header and enforce parental controls within {y} period of time.

That's it. That puts the control in the hands of the parents and lets them decide if their progeny are ready for adult content. No need to give up PII.

For a party whose supporters harp on about ‘sovereignty of the individual’ so often, the Conservatives don’t half like to intrude into people’s private lives. Why is it always sex-related?