Slashdot Mirror
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."
So the filter would block the Internet?
...but my daughter spent a summer there a few years aback and loved it and I've always admired the people so let me ask... Who can I send money to in order to get Conroy voted out of office ASAP?
Censorship is a "revolting and abhorrent phenomena" that "offends against the standards of morality".
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
Gambling is evil but midget porn is awesome apparently .
I suspect the Australian Government was just desperate to get on a bandwagon while it was new, any bandwagon. P.S. Ruddy: I hear free FTTN internet for everyone is an up and coming bandwagon.
After RTFS, xenophobe doesn't even begin to describe Stephen Conroy. 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. He should be tried for blatant disregard of personal freedoms.
it would also block sites depicting drug use, crime, sex, cruelty, violence
Really? Is he also going to block all Hollywood movies from entering Australia.
and you know they'll try for a mile.
This is why those types of idiots have to be resisted at every single step of the way.
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."
He wants to block all of that content and has narrowed it down to a mere 10,000 sites? Conroy's depth of knowledge in this field is simply stunning! Next, he'll find the only five or six sites on the web that depict bestiality!
"If it offends me, I want it banned for everyone." seems to be the mentality of so many. I understand the general intent of blocking that stuff, but it'll never, ever truly work. Besides, people like him will never listen to any other opinions, let alone listen to numerous experts telling them their ideas are wrong.
Heck, you could tell him that water was wet while soaking him in a bathtub floating in the ocean during a rain storm. But if his mind is set on water not being wet, he'll never listen.
Nick Xenophon actually announced is withdrawl of support for the filter around Jan 20th.
The news is, it was revealed the government will require full senate cooperation to introduce new legislation, that will surely fail to pass without Xenophon's support.
Area51 - We are watching...
Great to see that common sense has at last prevailed. I would like to see this as a triumph of democracy but it perhaps appears to be as much due to a lucky accident of the numbers in the Senate. Now, if only the UK would drop its misguided plans to implement filtering of the internet, albeit by different means iirc. And you in the US - don't think you're far behind. Your bunch of idiots wait to see what oppressive regime the bunch of idiots in Europe can impose on their populace before imposing it on you - at least that is what happened with the idiotic EU data retention laws and the current move in the US to force large numbers of wifi routers to keep logs.
While it is true that a mandatory filtering proposal is likely to require legislation to implement (especially without the support of the Internet Industry Association and a voluntary code of conduct), it is not clear that any future legislation is dead in the water just yet.
http://www.efa.org.au/2009/02/26/xenophon-opposes-mandatory-isp-filtering-but-fight-not-over-yet/
http://www.glasswings.com/
And I will now track down Nick Xenophon's address and mail him a letter of thanks. There may be hope for democracy yet!
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Yet almost 50% of their elected representatives, and probably media outlets, supported it. How do we account for this?
May the Maths Be with you!
If they have an inch, they'll brag to the girls that it's at least a foot. And promptly try to block any access to evidence and squelch any opinion close to the truth.
Look carefully at any would-be censors, for they likely have something to hide, and merely seek to conceal it behind a bigger screen...
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire
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.
Reviewing just the first hour of video games.
does that mean all Aussies would go back to the days of the porn-dialer? This could actually turn into a profitable business strategy!
One reason why support for the blocking is so low in this nanny state might well stem from the fact that there is still a significantly large proportion of the population who cannot get any connection better than dialup (if that), who would find their snail-like traffic grind to a halt.
If you're a city-dweller, you're fine, but there are lots of areas, not necessarily even very far from cities, where broadband access is poor or non-existent. Needless to say, our government's priorities are not appreciated in those areas.
Look, Janice, Denise, Tiffany Amber Thiiiieeeessen! Lemme go ahead and share a little something special with you that I like to call Perry's Perspective.
One: If someone's standing in front of me in line at the coffee shop and they can't decide what they want in the half an hour it took to get to the register, I should be allowed to kill them.
Two: I'm fairly sure if they took porn off the internet, there'd only be one website left, and it'd be called "Bring back the porn!"
Three and most importantly of all: The only way to be respected as a doctor -- nay, respected as a man -- is to be an island; you are born alone, you damn sure die alone.
Isn't that right, Spike?
I will work to elevate you, just enough to bring you down
The harder you squeeze the more you piss off the electorate.
Conroy .. said [the list] would also block sites depicting ... "revolting and abhorrent phenomena" that "offend against the standards of morality".
Latest site added to the list:
http://australia.gov.au/
----------------------------------- My Other Sig Is Hilarious -----------------------------------
The most secure computer in the world is one not connected to the internet.
<FreeFrag> Thats why I recommend Telstra ADSL.
I'm elated to hear that Senator Xenophon has withdrawn his support and I agree that this is a major blow to the (dis)honourable Senator Conroy and his cronies. However this is still far from over, as the EFA point out: http://www.efa.org.au/2009/02/26/xenophon-opposes-mandatory-isp-filtering-but-fight-not-over-yet/
However doomed, this is still government policy and it's entirely possible that Xenophon's vote could be won back if the government agrees to back other causes close to his heart. There's also the possiblity of Liberal senators crossing the floor, (the Liberals were the ones to introduce the "Black List" after all) or of Labor winning more Senate seats in the future to give them a more powerful standing in the senate.
Having said all that this is definitely the best news we've had for a while on the Aussie net censorship issue. In your face Conroy!
Ignored all expert advice.. Expanded the scope beyond it's original intention despite this.. Decided to bypass the larger, more popular, more mainstream ISPs during trialling and instead used a very select few mainly used by 'ma and pa kettle' types who would be ignorant of anything should their net one day be slow and half missing.. Isn't it obvious? This was never about morality or protecting the innocent. This was about instigating a control mechanism. The ability to shut you up and control your perceptions. Or.. perhaps he really thought he was doing the right thing, and going about it the right way. Really, either way you look at it, either his motives or his competency do nothing but put Australians at risk of being subjugated. He needs to be impeached. Now, I'm all for his originally claimed intention. But I think we need to find someone else to implement it. Someone with half a fricken clue and no ulterior motives.
http://www.somebodythinkofthechildren.com/acma-anti-abortion-prohibited/
In response to a complaint about an anti-abortion web page showing photographs of what appears to be aborted fetuses, ACMA has declared the page âprohibited or potential prohibited contentâ(TM). The Whirlpool member who made the complaint, presumably to gauge ACMAâ(TM)s response to such content, has published the departmentâ(TM)s email:
Subject: Complaint Reference: 2009000009/ ACMA-691604278
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:45:00 +1100
From: online@acma.gov.au
Complaint Reference: 2009000009/ ACMA-691604278
I refer to the complaint that you lodged with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) on 5th January 2009 about certain content made available at:
http://www.abortiontv.com/Pics/AbortionPictures6.htm
Following investigation of your complaint, ACMA is satisfied that the internet content is hosted outside Australia, and that the content is prohibited or potential prohibited content.
The Internet Industry Association (IIA) has a code of practice (http://www.iia.net.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=415&Itemid=33) for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) which, among other things, set out arrangements for dealing with such content. In accordance with the code, ACMA has notified the above content to the makers of IIA approved filters, for their attention and appropriate action. The code requires ISPs to make available to customers an IIA approved filter.
Information about ACMAâ(TM)s role in regulating online content (including internet and mobile content), including what is prohibited or potentially prohibited content is available at ACMAâ(TM)s website at www.acma.gov.au/hotline
Thank you for bringing this matter to ACMAâ(TM)s attention.
...I would have assumed they were going to block sites like Rapture Ready and the Hannity forums.
Any politician who gets behind this will not get re-elected. When less than 10% of the population supports something, it is political suicide to try and hitch your wagon to it. This can only weed out the moronic politicians, let them idiots say they support this. Then when it fails, everyone will know who NOT to vote for next time.
"But this one goes to 11!"
Now, I'm not saying being against abortion is wrong, you have the right to your beliefs, but if the web page they blocked was like the signs they posted on the roads when protesting the Planned Parenthood going up in the Aurora/Naperville IL area, I can understand why it went on the filter(note that I am against the filter in general, just playing devil's advocate on why that specific page may have been blocked). They would post shit like pictures of cut-up late stage abortions and dead fully developed babies (as in, unlikely to have come from a legal abortion anyway). Now, I've never seen a pro-choice campaign smear ads everywhere with pictures of crack-babies, kids with fetal alcohol syndrome, and other abused children, so why do anti-abortion campaigners have to basically troll shock pictures to get their point across?
Said, "It's just like dice but it's got more sides And it tells me who lives and who dies"
Finally, someone over there shows a modicum of common sense! Did anybody REALLY think that their absurd plans for filtering would actually see daylight?
Oh, and by the way: "revolting and abhorrent phenomena" that "offend against the standards of morality" read as: "goatse".
Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
Great to see that common sense has at last prevailed.
Because ONE man in power is not a complete asshole? What if he gets hit by a bus?
Stephen Conroy is an asshat.
That is all. Carry on.
Have you driven a fnord... lately?
You must wait a little bit before using this resource; please try again later.
What's frightening about this, though, is that other Western governments are probably using this as a test case to determine the efficacy of such censorship (and whether public opinion will effectively bend over and take it).
Make no mistake about it, there are forces in the US and UK alike that would very much appreciate this level of censorship, perhaps even under the guise of limiting/preventing piracy.
He who has no
The witch is dead...
Oh, there's no doubt about this. I mentioned in a previous post that we in the US appear to be using things like this as a test case (without actually committing to it) to determine if the concept would fly. There are a few members of Congress who have openly expressed their sentiments as pro-filtration.
Unfortunately, I think they'll point to ongoing piracy as the illegal activity which requires immediate censorship. It seems much easier to sell the stories of whiny, multi-billion dollar corporations losing money to the likes of cheap college students than to complain about smut. Oh, and the children. You can never feel too sorry for the children.
The disgusting part about this is that that government has essentially said "We feel you're to incompetent to know what's good for you."
It does remind me of a quote attributed to Ronald Reagan, though: "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"
He who has no
4chan
I"m running out of places to move to should this get through.
Not going to the UK. They have net censorship already, and that CCTV crap ( although personally, I like it because if I hang out there and someone assaults me there's a good chance it will be caught on TV. But I completely respect others' expectations not to have their lives filmed by the government! ).
Certainly not going to the USA, sorry. Your government is owned by big industry, and a majority of you are dumb sheep who vote for idiots. Your human rights record is appalling, and your public transport sucks.
At this stage, I'm tossing up between Germany and Russia. Sure, Russia has some problems, but there is a great sense of community, I'm a white heterosexual which will help keep me safe, and their women are hot.
Germany has the autobahn, a greater prevalence of english speakers, is centrally located for european travel, and the declining population in berlin means accommodation is cheap!
... and I am happy for you to send me money! I'll put it to good use and will also be voting against Conroy.
http://marriedmansexlife.com/
Why is it that some Australian politicians seem to be exaggerated versions of the worst politicians that the United States has to offer? Are they publicly auditioning for some as-yet-unnamed reality show? Reading about the antics of people like Conroy and John Howard has been more entertaining than Big Brother or Survivor.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the puddle, we already have this useful word fully incorporated in our official lexicon, even to the point of being included in English language lessons, such as this one (though the atrocious spelling might also be indicative of something...).
The useful and versatile F word is one of the few that may be used in just about every major grammatical category -- sometimes even all in the same sentence.
(And, lest I miss out on the Meme Train:)
Also, fuck you. :)
"What in the name of Fats Waller is that?"
"A four-foot prune."
... a senator who actually checked facts on something before voting on it. And nobody coerced or bribed him into changing his vote? Somebody down there needs to find out what's gone wrong with your political system.
Conroy openly added sites with legal content to the list. And no word from other government ministers? That is messed up.
"If it's real, then it gets more interesting the closer you examine it. If it's not real, just the opposite is true." -
One would think that the biggest supporters of the censorship plan would be the Australian Religious Right. So blocking anti-abortion web sites would be...counterproductive, to say the least. Thanks, buddy, you just pissed off your allies.
I don't believe in time. It's a grand conspiracy designed to sell watches.
A journalist reports on a minor development, uses some colourful language ('scuttled'), Twitter goes beserk and now Slashdot is reporting that the whole thing is over.
One senator changing his mind doesn't mean the plan is over. It's still official Government policy. A live trial is still being conducted by six ISPs.
Having one less senator who might support the plan is fine, but the Government can water the plan down slightly, pursue a non-legislative means of getting the filtering enacted, or call a new election at any time. Until the Government publicly backs off from the plan, we need to fight it.
This is really going to throw the spanner into the works of our ability to drum up public opposition (I'm with Electronic Frontiers Australia).
Everyone knows that damage is done to the soul by bad motion pictures. -Pope Pius XI
as much due to a lucky accident of the numbers in the Senate
That's your one man.
Would blocking 'revolting and abhorrent phenomena' that 'offend against the standards of morality' result in the proceedings of federal parliament itself being blocked? After all, last week saw four members of the House of Representatives ejected for unruly conduct, with two banned for 24 hours. (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23257136-601,00.html)
Pass out a free, government-approved "decent" web browser with filtration hard-coded into it. The browser can check any address requested against the government blacklist and censor out the "indecent" websites.
This allows the people who want filtered content to get what they want, relieves the burden from the ISPs, doesn't slow down the internet for anyone, and allows those who want it free access to everything.
Or am I missing the point? Is this not so much about enabling people with moral sensitivity as it is about controlling the free flow of information?
Your are incorrect. Australia has senators who are also members of parliament. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Senate
Legal advice has been obtained recently that the Australian government cannot implement the internet filter without legislating. That is the real news here.
Both the greens and the opposition spokesmen oppose the filter. Xenophon's vote would be crucial only if there was a coalition split on the issue, such as if the National party senators split from their opposition colleagues.
There doesn't seem to be any evidence of this. Either the Fairfax article is incorrect or their journalists know something that's not been made public.
He made it his job to download naughty pictures from the internet
i know i'm a bit late in this thread, but YES! as an aussie, i'm pretty happy about this.
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