Slashdot Mirror
Australia Waters Down, Delays Internet Filter Policy
An anonymous reader writes "Looks like Australia's government is running a bit scared of a population enraged by its controversial mandatory filtering project. The Government today announced a suite of measures designed to provide controls around the filter project, including independent oversight and a review of content which would be included. In addition, some Australian ISPs will voluntarily censor any child pornography URLs. But the whole project is still going ahead — it's just been delayed and slightly modified."
It would be an even stronger statement to only put Conroy last, not all of the Labor candidates. That way there is no doubt whatsoever what you're voting against.
Problem is it's not his personal policy, he's just driving ALP policy. Boot him out and the party just grows another arsehole to take his place and enact their policy.
Ahh - My eye!
The doctor said I'm not supposed to get Slashdot in it!
The changes announced today seem to be little more than a delaying tactic to remove the issue of mandatory Internet censorship from the agenda ahead of the election that is expected to be announced any day now. This issue has turned quite toxic for the government; the people who are for it are only weakly so, but the people who are against it are furious and are already organising campaigns against the government on various social media.
I don't think the government can be trusted not to bring it back in a essentially unmodified form after the next election. Vote accordingly.
Who ya gunna put first? It's not like Liberal has a different policy on the filter.
How we know is more important than what we know.
The use of a standardised block page notification, which will allow ISPs to notify users that the content that have requested has been blocked, and how to see a review of the block
This I can live with. It basically says:
:)
Yes, the site you wanted exists, but it's on a no-no list, so you can't see it. This is why (link to review of site). Don't agree with the review? Complain.
That seems to be somewhat more "filtering I can live with" even as a pretty outspoken libertarian
Moved to http://soylentnews.org/. You are invited to join us too!
I still can't let Abbott get into power.
As a lefty trade unionist, here is my hierarchy of voting in Australia this election:
As a lefty trade-unionist my hierarchy of voting in Australia this election: Greens > Being Kicked In Crotch (Men's Size 10, Sharpened Wing Tip) > ALP > Skeletor > Stabbed By Transvestites In Mexican Cantina > Demi-crats > Nationals > Liberals > Suicide Booth > Family First
Oh their policy is "different."
Abbott was at an event a couple of months ago where he said he disagreed with the Krudd/Conroy filtering plans. Sounds good? During the handshaking afterwards a friend of mine asked him to clarify his position. He said, "You'll probably be disappointed, but.." and went on to say that he felt Conroy was wasting too much time consulting with biased parties and that the filtering list didn't go far enough in blocking things that no Australian wanted on their computers.
Still, a few hundred people left that meeting thinking that a vote for Liberal was a vote against internet filtering. It's not Abbott's fault they misinterpreted him, is it.