Internet censorship comes to Aussie this July

[Luk3us 63]

Four Australian internet providers, including the country's two largest, will begin voluntarily censoring the internet next month by blocking access to more than 500 websites.

 

Australia's plan to filter the naughtiness out of the internet has been kicking around for years but it never seemed to go anywhere because when you get right down to it, effectively censoring the whole internet is a pretty daunting technical challenge. That doesn't even take into account the fact that a significant number of people who actually use the internet are pretty vehemently opposed to the idea. But beginning in July, internet access for many Aussies will in fact be censored, not by the government but by the voluntary actions of four of the country's ISPs.

 

Telstra and Optus, the two largest internet providers in Australia, along with two other small outfits, confirmed that they will begin to block access to "child abuse websites" provided by the Australian Communications and Media Authority and other unnamed "international organizations" beginning next month. The filter is being put into place despite the fact that the government dropped funding for the plan in May because of "limited interest" from the industry.

 

"The ACMA will compile and manage a list of URLs of child abuse content that will include the appropriate subsection of the ACMA blacklist as well as child abuse URLs that are provided by reputable international organizations [to be blocked]," an ACMA rep said.

 

But while Donna Ashelford of the System Administrators Guild of Australia said that concerns about reduced access speeds caused by the filter are probably unwarranted, she also pointed out that the scheme won't have any meaningful impact on the distribution of child porn either.

 

"The effectiveness will be trivial because you're just blocking a single website address [and] a person can get around it by changing that address with one character," she said. "Child abuse material is more likely to be exchanged on peer-to-peer networks and private networks anyway and is a matter for law enforcement."

 

Another worry, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, is that there is no transparency or accountability in the creation and maintenance of the blacklist, which greatly increases the chance of legal websites being inappropriately blocked. It's not known which organizations are contributing to the list of forbidden beyond the ACMA , but the ACMA's own blacklist from 2009, revealed by Wikileaks, included the website of a Queensland-based dentist and other sites unrelated to illegal pornography. There also appears to be no appeals process for any sites mistakenly caught up in the filter.

 

But possibly the greatest concern is simply that it sets a precedent. Once the filters are in place and Australians have adjusted to the idea, is it much of a stretch to see them put to use blocking content the ACMA decides is "indecent" or controversial? "We've been waiting to hear details on this from the Government," said EFF board member Colin Jacobs. "It they turn out to be zealous with the type of material that is on the list then we'd want to have a discussion about ways to introduce more transparency."

 

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/rea...ches-On-In-July

 

 

Remember people, it always starts small then before you know it, CNCNZ has been banned because of DD's avatar... (Actually I couldn't argue with that.... )

[Malevolence 6]

Censorship is not the answer or solution to solve problems. Period. I don't know what's wrong with their little heads or theirs, it's just absolute bollocks.

Generally speaking, by censoring and restricting people certain things, its the human nature to be curious to find out more on that restricted stuff. Recall the forbidden fruit from the bible stuff. Or take a random WTF example, let's go back in time and forbid Luk3us from surfing CNCNZ. He'll be very curious and want to know why. Eventually he'll go through the trouble and get access to CNCNZ and do his post count thing. See what I mean, its human psychology stuff.

Instead, they should actually bring the issue up for awareness and educate everyone and nurture everyone.

 

Man, CNCNZ got censored over some questionable avatar, LOL.

[Doctor Destiny 41]

Yes. Always starts small and it will cascade from there. First it's this, then it's 'extreme' porn, then it's fetish type and so on until everything is blocked including google.

[Nmenth 291]

This was inevitable, I guess... but that makes it no less idiotic.

 

I think it is good this is a voluntary choice by the ISPs though, at least it means the government hasn't yet crossed that line.

 

Now if only enough of their costumers will complain or drop them to get a reversal, it will make this foolish concept disappear for a little while. Unfortunately, the first step has already been made, and even taking a step back will not change that, making that first step easier for anyone else to take.

[TheBlackOut 7]

Government maintained censorship list? Government knows best, surely nothing can go wrong here.

 

Plus, it saves on bandwidth expenses!

[Nyerguds 102]

Looks like they'll have to go to 4chan through seven proxies now...

 

 

o wait they do that anyway

[Doctor Destiny 41]

Looks like they'll have to go to 4chan through seven proxies now...

 

 

o wait they do that anyway

I do **** like that and we're not being censored.

[Ferret 0]

Thank god I live in the US so I don't have to deal with that crap.

[Nmenth 291]

Thank god I live in the US so I don't have to deal with that crap.

Yet... Come on, man, this is setting a precedent here. You think any country is safe from this kind of idiocy? The US is not immune, and if you think it is, your optimism and naivety can only be pitied.

 

[Doctor Destiny 41]

If it's a voluntary choice by the ISP, people complaining or dropping them by the truckload will change their minds.

[Guest Rabbit]

Specially with the huge numbers and competition in America.

[Inferno 22]

I think I can safely say that Nmenth wins this thread.

[Ferret 0]

Well, it hasn't happened yet. So I could care less. Although, you got a point there Nmenth.

[Nmenth 291]

Well, it hasn't happened yet. So I could care less.

And that attitude is exactly why the world has so many problems now...

[Doctor Destiny 41]

At least Aussies won't go to jail for streaming YouTube videos.

[Luk3us 63]

Corporations have to much political power...

[Ferret 0]

And that attitude is exactly why the world has so many problems now...

 

I said I could care less.

 

But being as I am 14. It's not that big of a deal to me really... I still have a long ways to go.

Edited July 2, 2011 by godly-cheese