Down with This Sort of Thing: TD Calls for Crackdown on “Open Source Browsers”

Fine Gael TD Patrick O’Donovan has discovered that our way of life is under threat from anonymous internet users and their nasty “open source” browsers. But never fear, gentle citizens, he’s on the case.

Fine Gael TD Patrick O’Donovan attends a meeting of the Oireachtas Communications Committee

Anxious to be seen as a tech-savvy Guardian of All that is Good, Patrick appears to have spent about an hour googling the matter before issuing a fatwa a press release calling for …

… tougher controls on the use of open source internet browsers and payment systems which allow users to remain anonymous in the illegal trade of drugs, weapons and pornography. Deputy O’Donovan has written to the Oireachtas Communications Committee, of which he is a member, asking it to investigate the matter.

Naturally, Deputy O’Donovan knows that the solution to criminality is to ban technology. Lucky for us, he’s identified the technology in question: Open Source.

Bad Open Source! Bad dog!

Hilarity ensues:

@podonovan @FineGaelToday jesus, really poor press release. I hazard you don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.

— Gavin Sheridan (@gavinsblog) January 14, 2014

@gavinsblog ah @podonovan that release is shockingly off base. 'Browsers' and open source are not the problem. @FineGaelToday

— Daniel Sullivan (@kingkane) January 14, 2014

. @podonovan @FineGaelToday This is BEYOND ill-informed. Good god almighty. Read a book!

— Joan O'Connell (@clicky_here) January 14, 2014

@podonovan @FineGaelToday your lack of understanding of Open Source and how the web works is astounding, based on your statement today.

— Eamon Leonard (@EamonLeonard) January 14, 2014

Eamon goes on to point out that this is comedy worthy of The IT Crowd:

I'll just leave this here http://t.co/2ozdpO0Trr via comment on http://t.co/K1oRyFKMWj /cc @podonovan @FineGaelToday

— Eamon Leonard (@EamonLeonard) January 15, 2014

@podonovan @finegaeltoday @clicky_here pic.twitter.com/Vf5lgJrT80

— Edith Heffernan (@EdithHeffernan) January 14, 2014

Colm Doyle probably nailed it when it comes to identifying the dubious parentage of such an ill-conceived idea:

@EamonLeonard @podonovan @FineGaelToday it's like someone put an ECDL book and a Daily Mail article in a blender and printed what came out.

— Colm Doyle (@colmisainmdom) January 14, 2014

@podonovan while you’re at it, we need to clamp down on folks who make those plastic bags drug dealers keep marijuana in /cc @EamonLeonard

— Chris Armstrong (@Armstrong) January 14, 2014

Legal blogger Simon McGarr thinks Deputy O’Donovan may have gotten excited after seeing a tweet from RTÉ journalist Richard Downes.

First this: https://t.co/suyJ0jIyKb Then Suddenly This: http://t.co/CaxMd1caxB Then This: pic.twitter.com/X3fPO2pQaq #BanBrowsers #OnTheTelly

— Simon McGarr (@Tupp_Ed) January 15, 2014

Journalist Gerard Cunningham reminds Richard of the importance of anonymous internet access in protecting journalists and their sources:

.@downesr Talk to @storyful about why anon access can be a matter of life or death. Don't talk to idiot TDs looking for free PR #rtept

— Gerard Cunningham (@faduda) January 14, 2014

Finally, James Corbett, who’s a constituent of Deputy O’Donovan’s, has an offer for his local TD:

I went to my local TD @podonovan 's clinic a few weeks ago. In return I'd like to offer him a free clinic any time on how the internet works

— James Corbett (@eirepreneur) January 15, 2014