Some Of Australia's Tubes Are About To Be Filtered 339
Slatterz writes "The first phase of
Australia's controversial Internet filters were put in place today, with the Australian government announcing that six ISPs will take part in a six-week pilot. The plan reportedly includes a filter blocking a list of Government-blacklisted sites, and an optional adult content filter, and the government has said it hasn't ruled out the possibility of filtering BitTorrent traffic. The filters have been widely criticized by privacy groups and Internet users, and people have previously even taken to the streets to protest. While Christian groups support the plan, others say filters could slow down Internet speeds, that they don't work, and that the plan amounts to censorship of the Internet. At this stage the filters are only a pilot, and Australia's largest ISP, Telstra, is not taking part. But if the $125.8 million being spent by the Australian Government on cyber-safety is any indication, it's a sign of things to come."
OK guys here's what we'll do (Score:5, Interesting)
"Oh that'd probably be the internet filter causing your drop-outs, thank Stephen Conroy"
Re:OK guys here's what we'll do (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:OK guys here's what we'll do (Score:2, Interesting)
To be fair, everyone was under the assumption that filtering was going to be completely opt-in.
Note: Not just Australia's largest... (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Just boycott the asses pleases (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Just boycott the asses pleases (Score:5, Interesting)
The problem we now have, and it's a hugely problematic problem, is that the government is going to use this legislation as a bargaining chip to push through it's economic stimulus plan.
Late last year I was hoping and sitting rather comfortably in the knowledge that this would never make it through the senate.
But now a few individual senators are holding the government over a barrel regarding the stimulus plan, the same senators that support the censorship (except the greens). So expect the government to sacrifice the internet giving them everything they want to gain support for their new financial endevours.
The internet in Australia doesn't have a hope I'm afraid.
I won't even mention that yet again Rudd seems to be bringing us into line with China. He really seems to have an infatuation with that country and everything they do, and I think it's got a little more to do than just being able to speak their language. It's getting to be really quite creepy.
In other words I'm waiting for the bastard to sell us out.
I voted for labour above the libs, something I'm somewhat regretting now (and not just for the internet censorship) I must say.
Re:Just boycott the asses pleases (Score:3, Interesting)
I voted for labour above the libs, something I'm somewhat regretting now (and not just for the internet censorship) I must say.
So all of this is YOUR fault! BASTARD!
But seriously, most of Australia was fooled by this tourist. Personally I saw the crap that our (Labour) state governments were doing and thought, FUCK THAT! So I stuck with the Libs.
Actually, I want an alteration to be made to our voting slips. All voting slips should have a question on the bottom of it which says:
Do you watch any of the following TV shows or formats:
a) Australian Idol
b) Big Brother
c) Biggest Loser
d) Dancing with the stars
e) So you think you can dance
If they answer 'yes' to any of those, then their vote is burned and never to be counted as they have just failed a very simple intelligence test.
(NOTE: it is surprising how many of those shit shows are broadcast by channel 10)
Re:Just boycott the asses pleases (Score:3, Interesting)
Bullshit.
Firstly, when the opposition opposed the stimulus plan their approval rating dropped 4 points, they're going to show some token objection and get a few tax cuts in and cave because they don't have a choice.
Secondly, without either the greens or the liberals, it still won't pass the senate. The greens hate it, and if the libs are going to support it, then it'll happen with or without the loonies.
This may pass, but it's not going to pass as part of the economic stimulus package and it's not going to pass without the liberals(and with the liberals it'll pass not matter what anyway).
The current senate situation isn't ideal for anyone, but it's not quite that bad.
I don't like this filter, and I don't really know why Rudd is trying to do it. I haven't liked a lot of the nanny state bullshit labour has done(lots of taxes on booze and porn, very little effort to fix any of the things they were elected to fix) either.
Hopefully this is just a stunt to appease the loonies and even Rudd doesn't want this to pass, if not, it'll fail miserably, slow down the internet doing so, and hopefully they'll repeal it.
For what it's worth my soon to be sent letter... (Score:2, Interesting)
Dear Senator Conroy,
I am a member of the Western Australian Labor Party and a long time supporter of the ideals and values the Australian Labor Party and Trade Union movement promote in our country. I am writing to express my extreme concern on the mandatory Internet filtering you and your office are trialling over the next six weeks.
I understand that the decision is being considered as an option to assist parents, schools and public resources (such as libraries) to keep children away from unwanted Internet content. However, I do not believe that the planned solution will ever be appropriate for the Australian cultural climate. As a teacher, uncle and future parent I cannot stress enough the complete apathy and ignorance this policy encourages in parents of young and adolescent children in relation to the Internet. It should be the absolute responsibility of the authority figures of each household to understand, take action on and maintain any steps taken to remove perceived inappropriate content entering the household through a connection to the Internet. This policy is the antithesis of promoting an open caring relationship between parents and children in relation to online content.
Your policy discourages education and accountability because it takes the responsibility of filtering away from the parents of the household. It also discourages communication between the parent and child, not only stifling the need for dialogue but also, as shown through the lack of information given to the public by your office, the idea that information can be withheld by those "who know better" (in this case those who think they know better). Furthermore, the technical, financial and freedom of expression (as upheld through our constitution) issues are well documented and those in themselves should be more than enough to kill any further life in this poorly planned, poorly executed and poorly though-out plan.
Please understand that I do not advocate nor do I support the idea that the government cannot assist parents, schools and other public institutions from helping them with filtering their access to online content. However this policy which will continuously block any number of unnamed web sites is not aimed at targeting an individual's right to choose what they view, instead generalises values for the entire Australian population. I cannot think of anything more "un-Australian" than that.
As a Labor member and supporter of both a Labor government at both a state and federal level it is with great disappointment that if this policy is to be enacted I will do everything in my power to ensure that only members of parliament who oppose this policy will represent me in my electorate in the future. I understand that this may well end up in me needing to leave the Labor party but this issue is too important and your policy to narrow sited for me to ethically be able to support any Labor party member encouraging this policy.
I am looking forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
Re:Just boycott the asses pleases (Score:2, Interesting)
No censorship please (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Hong Kong is facing the same problem (Score:1, Interesting)
Adults who believe in fairy tales should be given therapy, not power.
Re:Kevin (Score:1, Interesting)
You're an idiot if you think Household debt is actual Federal Government debt. If I borrow money for a house, it's my debt and overall it contributes to national debt but it's not actual Federal Government debt. I bet if you check you'll find most Government debt is from the states, and guess which parties run those these days?
Re:You know... (Score:3, Interesting)
Dude, you live on an island with the most poisonous animals on earth. Ridiculously poisonous spiders that snuggle up in the toes of slippers and are native to your capital city.
I live right outside of Washington, D.C., and if I couldn't walk around at night in my apartment for fear of poisonous, deadly varmints holing up in my Nikes the last thing I would be is complacent.
Re: governance, I would like to point you towards a recent statement by our new president in which he said something along the lines of, "Debate's nice and all, but you've had your fun and now it's time to pass the legislation I want you to pass." Translation: "Democracy, shemocracy, blah blah blah!"