AU Government Censors Document On Planned Web Snooping

MrPPS writes "The Australian Government plans to force ISPs to record and retain all citizens' communications traffic. The Sydney Morning Herald requested that the proposed policy documents be released under Freedom of Information laws. What they received was a document that was 90% censored, in order to prevent 'premature unnecessary debate.' More discussion on the Greyhat Security site. Here is the redacted document (PDF, 3.6 MB)."

Comments

Keep it classy, Australia

[Anonymous Coward]

Having to work for you bastards, it really shouldn't be any surprise to me that you'd want to pull a dick move like this on your own citizens. I hope they vote all of your skanky asses right out of office.

Re:Keep it classy, Australia

[wildtux]

Having to work for you bastards, it really shouldn't be any surprise to me that you'd want to pull a dick move like this on your own citizens. I hope they vote all of your skanky asses right out of office.

The problem is both Australian major parties are up themselves and won't know rights (only obligations) even if it bit them on the arse or hit them in the pocket! Only solution is to back the Greens in Senate in the hope of hindering such crap laws and loss of rights. We all can thank the up-themselves government types in the USA that push same agendas across treaties and the like.

Re:Keep it classy, Australia

[rtb61]

So what. Both major parties will rarely agree on any issue and with that the balance of power get's given to the 'currently' minor parties. Want to disrupt the two party duopoly carefully nurtured and coerced by corporate interests, than vote for the other parties.

I was concerned about the near exact nature of both parties with regard to censoring and clamping down on the free exchange of information between adults. So I actually joined the Green Party, paid my membership dues (first time ever for any party) and that is how you shake things up. Reality is, if you want a safe internet for children, than you need to create a completely separate one for them, just like any other activity, in fact all other activities where child and adult stranger participation is completely separated.

Rather than the fringe view the right put on the Australian Greens, I take the viewpoint that they are by far the most conservative party in Australia, careful and cautious about any decision they make, their focus is about conserving Australian families and the environment they live in. It is pretty obvious some care and caution needs to be implemented when it comes to exploiting the environment and the resources it contains, failure really can turn around and not only bite this generation on the arse but future generations as well.

'premature unnecessary debate.

[MRe_nl]

aka democracy.

The ASP

[Kojiro Ganryu Sasaki]

The only realistic vote in Australia seems to be a vote for the Australian Sex Party.

The other parties seem totally infested by moralism and corruption.

Re:The ASP

[AHuxley]

http://www.democrats.org.au/campaigns/no_internet_censorship/ seem to have had a clear policy from day one.
Not many of the other parties have had such a clear policy.

Well, at least it's not for national security, eh?

[Mathinker]

To prevent "premature unnecessary debate" --- gotta give them credit that at least they're not lying about their motivations, unlike using "national security" to keep ACTA negotiations secret.

And as always with censorship...

[owlnation]

For curbing "premature unnecessary debate", Australian Government, meet Barbara Streisand...

Vote Tweedledum or Tweeledee

[CuteSteveJobs]

We've got an election three weeks away where voters will have the opportunity to throw out Julia Gillard. Gillard is Rudd's deputy who knifed him in the back to take his job, yet was party to all his unpopular decisions. She is continuing to support the web filter (though deferred implementing it until after the election).

In the other corner is Tony Abbott, a conservative catholic who is also pro-web filter (see earlier comments in Slashdot).

These are the two major parties in Australia. Their policies are so similar it's hard to tell them apart. One of them will win. What sort of a choice is this?

Re:Vote Tweedledum or Tweeledee

[heathen_01]

Insightful? There are more than 2 choices.

Re:Did you read the document? (What was left of it

[martin-boundary]

A single staffer is in no position to weigh the pros and cons of technical measures to retain data, and the social and economic impact of doing so. A politician whose knowledge on the matter consists of a document cobbled together by a staffer is in no position to weigh the pros and cons of technical measures to retain data, and the social and economic impact of doing so. A parliament full of politicians whose knowledge on the matter consist of documents cobbled together by staffers are in no position to weigh the pros and cons of technical measures to retain data, and the social and economic impact of doing so.

At which point do you feel that the Australian public should be consulted for the real facts and opinions?

Re:Black Jesus

[twidarkling]

Couldn't be the "Obongo" bit, or the off-topic, incendiary nature of the post that got him that, could it? Nah, it's gotta be the raging hard-on everyone has for Obama, and not the fact that someone correctly noted that the post was not designed to spark intelligent discourse, but instead to inflame and derail.

Re:To stop 'premature unnecessary debate'

[microbox]

Unfortunately the Labour Party (Current Federal Government) seems to be strongly influenced by people who have the attitude of "We must protect the Children" or "We know what is best for this county" or some such "Holy than thou" ideas.

I think the labour party is doing this because of the rise of the christian right in Australia. Labour will never will votes from family first, and pandering to moral authoritarianism (a conservative platform) will alienate the labour base.

I'm just going to consume pop-corn and laugh.