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Australian Internet Censorship Plan Torpedoed

An anonymous reader writes "The Australian Government's plan to introduce mandatory internet censorship has been scuttled, following an independent senator's decision to join the Greens and Opposition in blocking any legislation needed to start the scheme. Anti-Gambling Senator Nick Xenophon previously supported the filter because it could also block gambling web sites, but today withdrew support saying 'the more evidence that's come out, the more questions there are on this.' This week surveys found only less than 10% of Australians supported the censorship. Censorship Senator Stephen Conroy has consistently ignored advice from technical experts saying the filters would slow the internet, block legitimate sites, be easily bypassed and fall short of capturing all of the nasty content available online. Conroy expanded the list to block Adult R18+ and X18+ web sites, and this week said it would also block sites depicting drug use, crime, sex, cruelty, violence or 'revolting and abhorrent phenomena' that 'offend against the standards of morality.' Last week an anti-abortion website was added to the blacklist, and Conroy said he was considering expanding the blacklist to 10,000 sites and beyond."

13 of 308 comments (clear)

  1. Block The Internet by TheMeuge · · Score: 5, Funny

    Conroy expanded the list to block Adult R18+ and X18+ web sites, and this week said it would also block sites depicting drug use, crime, sex, cruelty, violence or "revolting and abhorrent phenomena" that "offend against the standards of morality".

    So the filter would block the Internet?

    1. Re:Block The Internet by MadDogX · · Score: 5, Funny

      I don't know about the rest of the internet, but by "abhorrent phenomena that offend against the standards of morality" I'm pretty sure they mean MySpace.

    2. Re:Block The Internet by Shakrai · · Score: 4, Funny

      If they applied the same filter to television, most channels would only display white noise.

      How is that any different from the award winning programming currently broadcast on TV? ;)

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
    3. Re:Block The Internet by Mister+Whirly · · Score: 4, Funny

      Oh Be Afraid Mister Anonymous

      --
      "But this one goes to 11!"
    4. Re:Block The Internet by rts008 · · Score: 4, Funny

      No commercial interruptions!!!

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      Down With Slashdot BETA!!! I've been around the corner and seen the oliphant; you can only abuse me from your perspecti
  2. Re:Censorship by MadDogX · · Score: 5, Funny

    By that definition they would be forced to censor censorship. The very concept is too mind-boggling for me to grasp.

  3. Re:Censorship by L4t3r4lu5 · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is the third time in as many days we've had the self-referencing paradox.

    Please, won't somebody think of the causality?!

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    Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
  4. Re:Quick, somebody grab the cluestick! by VShael · · Score: 5, Funny

    Next, he'll find the only five or six sites on the web that depict bestiality!

    Exactly! There's so much bestiality on the net now, that if you google for "People having sex with goats on fire", google responds with "Too many results. Please specify type of goat."

  5. R18 and X18? by hansamurai · · Score: 4, Funny

    Is there like a master list of all the R18 and X18 sites...? I think I need to check it over to make sure they all deserve to be there.

  6. Re:Censorship by Shikaku · · Score: 4, Funny

    In Soviet Russia, self-referenced paradoxes cause you!

    Ow. My head hurts just thinking about that one.

  7. Re:Xenophobe? by Xest · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Pluriphobe would be a better description, for want of a better word. In Holland we would use the phrase "more pious than the pope", but I know of no English expression that can explain his thickheadedness."

    How about dickhead? nobend? tosspot? Here in England we've mastered our language to produce plenty of simple yet effective and widely applicable words for situations and for people like this. For additional effect you may prefix a language construct which could only be defined as a pre-offensive such as "fucking".

    Hopefully we will soon update our finest Oxford dictionaries to include these useful and flexible language constructs and terms.

  8. Oblig. Bash.org by frieko · · Score: 4, Funny

    The most secure computer in the world is one not connected to the internet.
    <FreeFrag> Thats why I recommend Telstra ADSL.

  9. Re:I am not an Aussie... by blind+monkey+3 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Who can I send money to in order to get Conroy voted out of office ASAP?

    That's easy, you send your money to Conroy - you'd be surprised what politicians would do for money.

    --
    BM3