Australian Gov't To Launch Net Crackdown

docfisher writes "According to this article on whirlpool, the Australian Govt is proposing laws that would allow sentences of up to two years jail time for using the internet for "menacing or offensive purposes". According to The Age, Protest organisers will also be targetted in the clampdown. Press release by Senator Alston here."

Comments

Great.

[Unknown Poltroon]

Offensive behaveyor. LEts see, that means i can have all religious sites off the internet, as they offend me. All sites advocating censorship. ALl government sites will have to be taken down, as the idea that they know better than i do offends me. WHo else can i take out under this vague and poorly worded law? WHen im done there will be nothing left but pornograpy, slashdot, and lemur jokes.

Re:Great.

[gl4ss]

not only that but i'd bet that all of the cases where this law would be really needed are already covered by other laws(just because you're on internet doesn't make it any different from the 'real' world on most 'menacing' and 'offending' acts).

-

Re:Great.

[jazman_777]

What makes you think _you_ get to decide what is offensive? It really means offensive to the State. The State always takes care of itself first, even against the people. (For example, it will prosecute counterfeiters more severely than check kiters.)

Oy....

[tha_mink]

It's Australian for fascism.

Who cares?

[Anonymous Coward]

They're all a bunch of criminals anyway.

I mean, Australia *was* a prison island for England afterall.

Engage brain before making law

[satyap]

Someone please tell the lawmakers to think a little. Like someone's already pointed out, just because it's the internet doens't make it different. Of course, there are differences, which are blithely ignored when it suits the lawmakers. I'm offended. By what? By everything! Shut down the net!

Sets a Totalitarian Precedent

[fuzzybunny]

Grandiose. Note please the use of the phrase 'telecommunications service', not 'internet'.

This implies that the media used to organize protests to help topple Joseph Estrada, to kill Hong Kong's internal security law, to bring out mass demonstrations against Cesar Chavez, and multitudinous other demonstrations against heavy-handed government actions, such as SMS, phone, or email, can all be punishable by the government.

In effect, this law nullifies the democratic advantage given to a population to organize against anything objectionable its government does. Equally important the bit about 'menacing'
and 'harassment'--essentially, any political protests could be construed as such. This brings to mind the Riot Act, which stated that as soon as 12 or more people gather 'unlawfully', an officer of the law could read the act and anyone remaining at the gathering would be considered a felon.

Equally scary, but I suppose in a fashion typical for Australian and UK governments is the use of the kiddy-porn specter (in the US the catchword is 'terrorism'):

Communications Minister Richard Alston and Justice Minister Chris Ellison said the new offence was part of a package to also crack down on internet child pornography.

Clever, clever way to pass a law over potential objections--think of the children! As an outsider, I'm not qualified to criticize Australian politics on the whole, but boy, that seems like one scary senator you've got there.