13 May 2004

American Samoa firm urges block on internet pornography

10:52 am on 13 May 2004

An American Samoa company that sells and maintains computers is calling on the government to pass a measure that would close down any internet service provider (ISP) who fails to block pornography.

Island Business Centre manager, Bill Hyman, says the company recently received several computers for repair because they have been attacked by viruses.

Mr Hyman says many of these viruses were picked up by people who import pornography from the internet and he claims that much of it is not plain adult pornography, but deviant in nature, including participation by animals and children.

He says he would like to see law enacted that would close down any ISP which does not install a firewall, to prevent pornography being disseminated in American Samoa.

He would like the law to make the chief executive officer of the ISP personally liable for failure to comply with this law.