As Australia has already begun the testing phase of its new plan to have ISPs filter the Internet of "inappropriate content" and "offensive and illegal material," it's now being reported that the Labor government "blacklist" has already been compiled and will begin with some 1300 sites, moving towards 10,000 and beyond.
"The pilot will specifically test filtering against the ACMA blacklist of prohibited content, which is child pornography, as well as filtering of other unwanted content," Broadband Minister Stephen Conroy.
"While the ACMA blacklist is currently around 1300 URLs, the pilot will test against this list - as well as filtering for a range of URLs to around 10,000 - so that the impacts on network performance of a larger blacklist can be examined."
Many are rightly upset with the plan because not only is the plan mandatory, but it also means that a govt bureaucrat will be the one determining what sites are included. It's his decision and his alone that determines what is "unwanted content."
"Conroy said the list would contain illegal and unwanted content but we still have to see what would end up on that list," said Electronic Frontiers Australia board member Colin Jacobs. "Under the current mandate that includes adult material, which would mean most material that could be rated R and, in some circumstances, material rated MA15+."
The plan would try to turn the Internet into a G-rated version that really doesn't make anybody safer in the end. It's also entirely ineffective because it will never be able to sanitize the Internet of "unwanted" or "inappropriate content." Surely we are all able to close a screen or avoid a website if we are offended by certain content. I do it with comercial TV, and Junk Mail.
It's even dumber for Senator Conroy to think the plan is even possible, especially with a recent trial of the web-filtering technology showing that it slowed down Internet access by as much as 87% it doesn't bode well for Australian Internet users. And to think we were all falling for that pre election ramble of "Upgrading Australia's internet services to world standards and elevated broadband speeds."
Moreover, allowing the govt to begin censoring the Internet is a draconian effort to impose the morality of Senator Conroy and the suits like him, on an entire country. How did we suddenly go from being the free and fun loving country, to being a policed state, worse than mainland China, where Big Brother gets to decide what we must deem safe and informative reality..... this will not be tolerated. I hope each and everyone of you shaking your head right now, throwing your hands up in the air, actually cares enough to do something, anything, about this. don't wait for your rights to be long gone. think of how this is all going. Inform yourself and your fellow users, take time to voice your opinions in the various ways which show, we are here, we are the majority, and this is not acceptable.
SOURCEjared@zeropaid.com
Inform, Empower, Make A Difference
NO CLEAN FEEDSTOP THE CLEAN FEEDBLOG NCFEFACONTACT THE MINISTERCONTACT YOUR ISPHit the streets on Saturday 13th December in nationwide protests against this internet censorship. National protests are being planned to increase awareness of the filtering plan and let the politicians know what we think of it.
Perth Protest:
Date: Saturday 13th of December
Location: Stirling Gardens
Time: 12:00pm - 3:00pm
