Australia Ban Opposed

11/06/2008		Australia Ban Opposed
Home History Games News Dictionary		The arguments against the proposed ban of ‘undesirable’ website in Australia are gaining momentum and heat as the idea continues to be considered by government officials. Initially not perceived as a serious threat, the possibility that a ISP-based ban could be instated in the democracy has finally woken enough protesters to cause some noise. This week marked a surge of articles in the media against the proposal, publishing letters and postings from citizens all over Australia, all shouting that the Internet should not be subject to national censorship. Among the concerns is the very real possibility that in trying to please every group that will lobby the government for protection from what they may deem inappropriate sites, the internet speed will diminish by as much as 70 percent by the filtering system. Assurances that the plan will only block “illegal material” are doing little to assuage the uproar. A spokesman for the internet users’ lobbyist group Electronic Frontiers Australia was among the loudest, warning that ‘illegal material’ was only a starting point for the filters: “Any group with an axe to grind and political clout will be lobbying the Government to blacklist websites which they object to. Having all Australians’ Internet access subject to a secret and unaccountable government blacklist is completely unacceptable in a liberal democracy such as Australia.” Other concerns revolve around where the stopping point would be. Family First Senator Steve Fielding’s focus is on eliminating access to hardcore pornography, while his political associate Nick Xenophon, an independent Senator, wants to extend the ban to include ‘illegal’ gambling sites, ie those that are based overseas and not regulated through Australia. The question remains just how much would have to be blocked to appease everyone’s offenses, as Rudd prepares to defend the filtering plan against the official Opposition’s arguments.

11/06/2008

Australia Ban Opposed

The arguments against the proposed ban of ‘undesirable’ website in Australia are gaining momentum and heat as the idea continues to be considered by government officials. Initially not perceived as a serious threat, the possibility that a ISP-based ban could be instated in the democracy has finally woken enough protesters to cause some noise.

This week marked a surge of articles in the media against the proposal, publishing letters and postings from citizens all over Australia, all shouting that the Internet should not be subject to national censorship. Among the concerns is the very real possibility that in trying to please every group that will lobby the government for protection from what they may deem inappropriate sites, the internet speed will diminish by as much as 70 percent by the filtering system. Assurances that the plan will only block “illegal material” are doing little to assuage the uproar.

A spokesman for the internet users’ lobbyist group Electronic Frontiers Australia was among the loudest, warning that ‘illegal material’ was only a starting point for the filters: “Any group with an axe to grind and political clout will be lobbying the Government to blacklist websites which they object to. Having all Australians’ Internet access subject to a secret and unaccountable government blacklist is completely unacceptable in a liberal democracy such as Australia.”

Other concerns revolve around where the stopping point would be. Family First Senator Steve Fielding’s focus is on eliminating access to hardcore pornography, while his political associate Nick Xenophon, an independent Senator, wants to extend the ban to include ‘illegal’ gambling sites, ie those that are based overseas and not regulated through Australia. The question remains just how much would have to be blocked to appease everyone’s offenses, as Rudd prepares to defend the filtering plan against the official Opposition’s arguments.