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Can Linux be banned in .au?

Posted by Hemos on from the it's-time-to-apply-censorship dept.

cpt kangarooski writes "Well, an enterrising reporter over at Salon has found that certain blue comments in some Linux source code may make it eligible to be censored in Australia. Take a look here " Mmm...fun with censorship. Congrats go to Jamais Cascio (known as cynical around here), Slashdot reader, and author of the Salon article.

2 of 238 comments (clear)

  1. The List of Banned Words by Chakotay · · Score: 5

    it can be found here. they threw a dictionary through the filter... let me list a few of the more stunning ones...

    adult
    alcohol
    amaretto
    amateur
    anarchy
    anus
    aryan
    available
    babe
    banging
    bangle
    bare
    bastard
    beaver
    beer
    bikini
    binaries
    blonde
    bloody
    bomb
    bottom
    bra
    bud
    buxom
    chat
    cherry
    chicks
    cigar
    circumcise
    conception
    condom
    destined
    doom
    dynamite
    enema
    eros
    escort
    explosive
    fantasies
    fist
    flesh
    fondle
    free
    frigid
    geisha
    gin
    girlie
    girls
    glamour
    gothic
    grenade
    gun
    hack
    hacker
    heroine [no more female heros?]
    hole
    homo
    incest
    intercourse
    jenny [???]
    kill
    killer
    kissing
    klan
    klux
    knights [???]
    knives
    ku
    latex
    leather
    lesbian
    lingerie
    liquor
    lover

    well, you get the picture... it's f***ing outrageous.


    )O(
    the Gods have a sense of humor,

    --

    Never underestimate the power of stupidity
    To err is human, to moo bovine
  2. not exactly.. by Admiral · · Score: 4

    Don't believe everything you read :)

    From what I've read over here in Aus the legislation isn't exactly well put together. An ISP only has to make a "reasonable effort" to block a site when requested. "reasonable effort" is undefined I believe.

    Also, for a site to be blocked/taken down (depending if it's overseas or australian), the Australian Broadcasting Authority has to receive a few complaints about the content on a site. It will then ask the Classification Board to give the site a classification - same as used for films. If the site is given R (18+), then some form of adult verification must be installed.. again, undefined. If the site is rated X, or RC (banned), then the site is to be taken down if Australian, or blocked if overseas.

    It's fairly obvious that this is unworkable, and I think it will die fairly quickly. All you'd need to do is send the output of an Altavista search on "free XXX" to the ABA and claim it offends you, and the ABA now has a few years of work ahead of them. I don't exactly think they'll appreciate it either..

    The filter software mentioned in the article is what was presented to govt to show them that it was all possible.. No one actually has to use that software afaik.

    Oh and I don't think the linux sources are in much danger. The ABA is pretty tolerant of swearing in film and tv in Australia - much more than in the US. It would take a fair bit of language alone to get given an R rating here :)

    This Salon article has a bit more info..

    Glyn.