Scorpions Wikipedia Page Censored In The U.K.

posted Dec 7, 2008 at 9:46 PM by Diamond Oz. (26 Comments)

Legendary heavy metal bands the Scorpions, has had their Wikipedia page censored in the United Kingdom, due to allegations of child pornography.

Guardian.co.uk is reporting:

The Internet Watch Foundation has propelled the UK into the forefront of the internet censorship debate by blacklisting an image on Wikipedia as "a potentially illegal indecent image of a child under the age of 18." You may already have this one. It's a 1976 SCORPIONS album cover….

Wikinews reports that British ISPs restrict access to Wikipedia amid child pornography allegations. The story says:

Wikinews has learned that at least six of the United Kingdom's main Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have implemented monitoring and filtering mechanisms that are causing major problems for UK contributors on websites operated by the Wikimedia Foundation, amongst up to 1200 other websites. The filters appear to be applied because Wikimedia sites are hosting a Scorpions album cover which some call child pornography. The Scorpions are a German rock band who have used several controversial album covers and are perhaps best known for their song, "Rock You Like a Hurricane".

The story says that the "major UK ISPs" are thought to be O2/Be Unlimited, Virgin Media, Easynet, Plusnet, Demon, and Opal Telecommunications (TalkTalk).

The blocking has been prompted by the UK's Internet Watch Foundation, which has put out a statement today (Sunday). It says:

A Wikipedia web page, was reported through the IWF's online reporting mechanism in December 2008. As with all child sexual abuse reports received by our Hotline analysts, the image was assessed according to the UK Sentencing Guidelines Council (page 109). The content was considered to be a potentially illegal indecent image of a child under the age of 18, but hosted outside the UK. The IWF does not issue takedown notices to ISPs or hosting companies outside the UK, but we did advise one of our partner Hotlines abroad and our law enforcement partner agency of our assessment. The specific URL (individual webpage) was then added to the list provided to ISPs and other companies in the online sector to protect their customers from inadvertent exposure to a potentially illegal indecent image of a child.

The Scorpions album was released in 1976, so it's amazing to think that civilisation has managed to survive for more than 40 years, in spite of this evil in our midst.

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26 Comments on "Scorpions Wikipedia Page Censored In The U.K."

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Member

1. Jenny writes:

I can certainly see why people would think the album cover for "Virgin Killer" is pretty risky, and the country has every right to censor it. BUT I honestly don't see the point in doing that now; I could be wrong though.

I'm a big confused: is the entire page being censored or is just the page where the image is displayed being censored? It wouldn't make sense to censor the entire wiki page.

# Dec 7, 2008 @ 11:05 PM ET | IP Logged

Member

2. That_One_Guy writes:

Seems like if they were going to censor it they should have long ago. It only took them forever.

# Dec 7, 2008 @ 11:12 PM ET | IP Logged

Reviewer

3. XWigglesX writes:

What about Nevermind?

# Dec 8, 2008 @ 3:36 AM ET | IP Logged

4. Safra writes:

Damn good point, XWigglesX!

# Dec 8, 2008 @ 4:26 AM ET | IP Logged

5. Kali writes:

What-ev! I could not care less! Scorpians fvcking suck!

# Dec 8, 2008 @ 4:45 AM ET | IP Logged

Member

6. citrus_tea writes:

If I didn't live in the UK I'd think this was laughable. Think I'll sell up and move to China.

# Dec 8, 2008 @ 4:46 AM ET | IP Logged

Writer, Reviewer

7. psythe writes:

Rock you like a hurricane! Rad song! Kiddy porn! NOT a rad song!

Either way, censorship is the ghey. Stupid Australian gov is trying to do it too. Quit messin with me interwebs!!

# Dec 8, 2008 @ 7:16 AM ET | IP Logged

8. ZT Speaking writes:

"The Scorpions are perhaps best known for their song, "Rock You Like a Hurricane".

Only in America, which is too bad. The older albums piss and sh** all over their later crapola.

# Dec 8, 2008 @ 9:29 AM ET | IP Logged

9. Hero writes:

Virgin killer original cover was banned in UK so was released under a new cover without the girl and cracked glass. I seem to remember another cover being banned for something similar. May have been GnR but have a feeling Scorps had another LP cover banned.
Bring back records. f***in cd's. Who looks at the cover on a cd these day?

# Dec 8, 2008 @ 10:54 AM ET | IP Logged

News Correspondent

10. Diamond Oz writes:

"Who looks at the cover on a cd these day?"

Me.

And yeah the original cover for Appetite For Destruction was banned, though to be honest I prefer the one they replaced it with. Not because it's less graphic or anything but because it looks cooler.

# Dec 8, 2008 @ 12:15 PM ET | IP Logged

Member

11. Morphine writes:

I think it's fair enough that they'd want to censor it but it's been years now that it's been on there so what's the point

# Dec 8, 2008 @ 12:20 PM ET | IP Logged

Member

12. citrus_tea writes:

The IWFs remit is to tackle child pornography and racial hatred on the net. So I guess Al Jolson's wiki-page will be next on their hit-list.

# Dec 8, 2008 @ 2:11 PM ET | IP Logged

13. Metal Joe writes:

Banned covers suck, although I do like the "Virgin Killer" album.

# Dec 8, 2008 @ 2:40 PM ET | IP Logged

14. virgin killer writes:

I read that the girl on the photo didn't mind her self being used for the album, so whats the big deal you can't see her **** and the image is low quality anyway.

# Dec 8, 2008 @ 3:58 PM ET | IP Logged

Reviewer

15. XWigglesX writes:

The cover of Merciless by Most Precious Blood got banned. But you can see the original art in the booklet.

# Dec 8, 2008 @ 5:55 PM ET | IP Logged

Member

16. Jackrum writes:

anyone care to post a link??
if not then email me the pic Jackrum36@hotmail.com

and like the point already raised.. what about Nevermind?? naked boy with weiner on display in a pool???? thats one for the peado

# Dec 8, 2008 @ 6:29 PM ET | IP Logged

Writer, Reviewer

17. psythe writes:

^yeah, but the boy's like, a month old... I think that's younger than even pedo's like 'em lol. Although, I guess it's difficult to tell, really, hahah. Creepy f***ers probs go for whatever they can get their hands on :/

# Dec 9, 2008 @ 5:57 AM ET | IP Logged

Member

18. Jenny writes:

Psythe: So true...

Jackrum: I sent you an email of the pic :)

# Dec 9, 2008 @ 9:23 AM ET | IP Logged

19. Chazz writes:

I was born the same year "Virgin Killer" came out. I wonder how old the girl on the cover of that album is now. When that picture was taken around 1976 or something, she looks like an eight or ten year old kid. She must be in her late 30s or early 40s now.

# Dec 9, 2008 @ 4:22 PM ET | IP Logged

20. G writes:

Jane's Addiction's Nothing's Shocking should have got a replacement cover like their Ritual de lo Habitual. Its cover of Nothing's Shocking should have been banned because of the image of a naked girl seated showing her boobs and vagina.

# Dec 9, 2008 @ 7:34 PM ET | IP Logged

21. Rudi writes:

Well. Let's see. If I have an opinion it will upset someone, then their opinion will upset me, so if I'm offencive to them and them to me, I figure we're all offensive. So let's ban opinions, freedom of choice, freedom of speach etc, oh, they already have! How sad is this world. Anyone can offend anyone! Were do we draw the line? Let's ban life and then no one will be offensive ever again.

# Dec 10, 2008 @ 6:31 AM ET | IP Logged

22. Rudi writes:

# Dec 10, 2008 @ 6:35 AM ET | IP Logged

23. Rudi writes:

# Dec 10, 2008 @ 6:40 AM ET | IP Logged

Member

24. That_One_Guy writes:

Rudi -- Whoa dude, triple post.

# Dec 10, 2008 @ 11:22 AM ET | IP Logged

25. truseattleite writes:

Yeah the original cover for "Love At First Sting" by the Scorpions was banned also but I cant remember if that ban got lifted or not.

# Dec 12, 2008 @ 10:20 AM ET | IP Logged

26. Chazz writes:

In Trance also had a banned cover. The original featured the breast of the woman holding a guitar.

# Dec 22, 2008 @ 3:40 PM ET | IP Logged

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