Politics No opt-out of filtered Internet

[Dont be a lemon]

No opt-out of filtered Internet

Australians will be unable to opt-out of the government's pending Internet content filtering scheme, and will instead be placed on a watered-down blacklist, experts say.

By Darren Pauli, Computerworld Australia
October 13, 2008



Australians will be unable to opt-out of the government's pending Internet content filtering scheme, and will instead be placed on a watered-down blacklist, experts say.

Under the government's $125.8 million Plan for Cyber-Safety, users can switch between two blacklists which block content inappropriate for children, and a separate list which blocks illegal material.

Pundits say consumers have been lulled into believing the opt-out proviso would remove content filtering altogether.

The government will iron-out policy and implementation of the Internet content filtering software following an upcoming trial of the technology, according to the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.

Department spokesman Tim Marshall said the filters will be mandatory for all Australians.

"Labor's plan for cyber-safety will require ISPs to offer a clean feed Internet service to all homes, schools and public Internet points accessible by children," Marshall said.

"The upcoming field pilot of ISP filtering technology will look at various aspects of filtering, including effectiveness, ease of circumvention, the impact on internet access speeds and cost."

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) contacted by Computerworld say blanket content filtering will cripple Internet speeds because the technology is not up to scratch.

Online libertarians claim the blacklists could be expanded to censor material such as euthanasia, drugs and protest.

Internode network engineer Mark Newton said many users falsely believe the opt-out proviso will remove content filtering.

"Users can opt-out of the 'additional material' blacklist (referred to in a department press release, which is a list of things unsuitable for children, but there is no opt-out for 'illegal content'", Newton said.

"That is the way the testing was formulated, the way the upcoming live trials will run, and the way the policy is framed; to believe otherwise is to believe that a government department would go to the lengths of declaring that some kind of Internet content is illegal, then allow an opt-out.

"Illegal is illegal and if there is infrastructure in place to block it, then it will be required to be blocked -- end of story."

Newton said advisers to Communications Minister Stephen Conroy have told ISPs that Internet content filtering will be mandatory for all users.

The government reported it does not expected to prescribe which filtering technologies ISPs can use, and will only set blacklists of filtered content, supplied by the Australia Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

EFA chair Dale Clapperton said in a previous article that Internet content filtering could lead to censorship of drugs, political dissident and other legal freedoms.

"Once the public has allowed the system to be established, it is much easier to block other material," Clapperton said.

According to preliminary trials, the best Internet content filters would incorrectly block about 10,0000 Web pages from one million.

http://www.infoworld.com/news/feeds/08/10/13/No-opt-out-of-filtered-Internet.html?source=gs

Disgrace of the highest order! When did Labor become so facist

 

[Fire]

Wow...

Perviously, this issue was enough to make me vote Liberal next election. If this goes though, I will never vote labour again.

And to think I was concerned that Howard was taking us down the path to Fascism.

Seriously... this is sickening.

 

[Dry Rot]

Utterly indefensible and quite probably unique in the western world.

Wonder what the ALP cheerleaders like jumpin jimmy, flinders and achancely make of this?

This govt is really beginning to make the Howard govt look quite liberal.

 

[Richo83]

This is what happens when you get moralist morons in power. The internet is the last bastion of free speech and democracy. Lets keep it that way.

 

[randyzany]

Man I never thought I'd see the day I wished the Libs where in power instead of Labor. This is seriously f*cked up, an utter disgrace. Over my dead body are they getting this through. Who the hell do these imbeciles think they are?

 

[Dry Rot]

An appeal to Chief:

It is quite possible that even various threads on BigFooty could be blocked, or even the whole site.

How about some sort of petition, protest etc mobilising the resources and membership of BigFooty against this govt proposal?

 

[Fire]

Utterly indefensible and quite probably unique in the western world.

The worst thing about this is that it IS defensible. Because the majority of "working families" have no idea about the implications of this. Why not block illegal material?

Don't forget that Australia has culturally morphed into a society that turns to the government on far too many issues. I fear that working families expect behavior like this from our government, and as soon as legislation like this has been implemented, it will be a cold day in hell before it is removed. Australians don’t value freedom.

 

[Fire]

An appeal to Chief:

It is quite possible that even various threads on BigFooty could be blocked, or even the whole site.

How about some sort of petition, protest etc mobilising the resources and membership of BigFooty against this govt proposal?

I have never been involved directly with any political protest. I would want to participate in something like this. Very much so.

 

[WA ROO]

So who gets to decide what we can access in the net.
Will sites like this be affected? hell someone might post that they dislike K07 and get BF put on the banned list.

 

[skipper kelly]

So who gets to decide what we can access in the net.
Will sites like this be affected? hell someone might post that they dislike K07 and get BF put on the banned list.

cool

 

[Dry Rot]

So who gets to decide what we can access in the net.
Will sites like this be affected? hell someone might post that they dislike K07 and get BF put on the banned list.

I can see this Politics Board being affected, and probably others like the Media Board.

I doubt that the filter would drill down to individual thread urls, so it could just ban/block www.bigfooty.com

 

[Fire]

So who gets to decide what we can access in the net.
Will sites like this be affected? hell someone might post that they dislike K07 and get BF put on the banned list.

Rest assured an independent and unaccountable committee will be set up.

 

[Dry Rot]

Rest assured an independent and unaccountable committee will be set up.

Headed by Senator Fielding.....

 

[skipper kelly]

I think everyone should take a step back and think of the children.

 

[Fire]

I think everyone should take a step back and think of the children.

I wish I could find this issue funny.

 

[Virgil]

I think everyone should take a step back and think of the children.

 

[Monkster]

All aboard whos getting aboard (the plane out of the country that is)

 

[skipper kelly]

I wish I could find this issue funny.

Nothing will happen. Think Millenium Bug.

 

[Fire]

Nothing will happen. Think Millenium Bug.

Sorry, I don’t know what your referring to.

Do you mean this filter will never happen, or that nothing bad will come of it once its implemented?

 

[skipper kelly]

Sorry, I don’t know what your referring to.

Do you mean this filter will never happen, or that nothing bad will come of it once its implemented?

The filter will most likely happen but what is filtered will not be anything 99% of us use.

 

[Fire]

The filter will most likely happen but what is filtered will not be anything 99% of us use.

I do not share your optimism. I don't see how any good can come from this.

 

[skipper kelly]

I do not share your optimism. I don't see how any good can come from this.

Optimism is good and healthy.

 

[WA ROO]

The filter will most likely happen but what is filtered will not be anything 99% of us use.

At first maybe,look out when certain special interest groups pressure the govt

 

[Fire]

Optimism is good and healthy.

People were optimistic about the Titanic.

Skepticism is healthy when warranted. It keeps governments in line.

 

[evo]

At first maybe,look out when certain special interest groups pressure the govt

Yep.

Anti-online gambling groups for example.

Almost anything could be deemed 'not suitable for children' if some particular group was motivated and influential enough.