> Best case scenario (and this is wildly optimistic) the offenders won't be able to find any 'safe' channels to distribute their materials to each other.
The theory is based on the documented fact that most crime is poorly thought through with terrible operational security. 41% is straight up opportunistic, spur of the moment, zero planning.
It won't stop technologically savvy predators who plan things carefully; but that statistically is probably only a few percent of predators; so yes, it's probably pretty darn effective. There are no shortage of laws that are less effective that you probably don't want repealed - like how 40% of murderers and 75% of rapists get away with it. Sleep well tonight.
Exactly. Econ 101: why do consumption taxes work at all? By increasing the amount of pain associated with purchasing a particular indulgent product, you decrease the consumption of that product on the margin. When you increase the price of cigarettes by 20%, cigarette smoking in a society decreases. But for the most addicted, no consumption tax will probably act as a deterrent.
Some individuals will find a way to distribute and consume child pornography no matter the cost. But other addicted individuals will stop consuming if doing so becomes so laborious because they are consuming or distributing on the margin. I.e, imagine the individual who doesn't want to be consuming it, who knows they shouldn't—this type of deterrent may be the breaking point that gets them to stop altogether. And if you reduce the amount of consumption or production by any measure, you decrease a hell of a lot of suffering.
But anyway, the goal of this legislation is not to drive the level of distribution to 0. The goal of policymakers could be seen charitably as an attempt to curtail consumption, because any reduction in consumption is a good thing.
Exactly my point, but also, to add to it:
Let's say you're actually texting in a group. Even if you use perfect operational security, odds are terrible that all members of your group will perfectly uphold the same level of security every time they share their content.
One is going to slip up. He's going to get arrested. And he's going to turn the whole group in to reduce his sentence. Everyone else meanwhile has their operational security become proof of intent, proof of deliberation, proof of trying to evade authorities. They thought they were clever with the encrypted ZIP files, but the judge and jury are going to be merciless. I don't think most authorities have a problem with that.
Wait. Are you calling child pornography an ”indulgent product?”
Was referring to tobacco, alcohol, soft drinks etc