I think it&#x27;s a codification of a quite natural and sometimes reasonable thing.<p>Imagine I said something completely disgusting in a HN comment. I&#x27;d have it flagkilled faster than I could say &quot;freedom of speech&quot;. We accept that because a community needs to be curated and maintained. Now extend this sentiment to the society at large, and you have an argument for some kind of obscenity laws.<p>That those laws may have gone too far is another issue though.