Australian Web Censorship Project Moves Ahead, Despite Lack Of Political Support

from the just-enough-rope-to-hang-themselves dept

Tue, Mar 17th 2009 2:04pm — Carlo Longino

At the end of last month, it looked like Australia's plan to censor the web had died after it lost support in the country's senate. But The Register reports that Australian regulators are going ahead and using the same blacklist that was part of that effort to threaten sites with fines. The Australian Communications and Media Authority threatened a broadband discussion forum with an A$11,000 ($7,250) daily fine after one of its users posted a link to an anti-abortion site on the blacklist. But it gets a little deeper, as the site was apparently put on the blacklist on the basis of a single complaint -- made by a guy who wanted to illustrate the stupidity of the system by getting a site listed that's got nothing to do with child porn, the supposed target of the censorship plan. When even politicians won't support something like this that's supposed to "protect the children," it should be pretty apparent that it's not a good idea. So why is the regulator moving ahead with it?

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: australia, censorship, filters

15 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

TheStuipdOne, 17 Mar 2009 @ 2:37pm

You can't actually expect politicians/regulators to see why a complaint was filed. They are too busy grandstanding
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Easily Amused, 17 Mar 2009 @ 3:09pm

more of the same
The regulators actually went directly to the ironically named hosting provider (Bulletproof) of the site for the takedown, never contacting the site (Whirlpool) itself. Unfortunately, the site buckled without so much as a whimper and removed the link.

This is a link to the site's discussion of the event:
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1161107
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Weird Harold, 17 Mar 2009 @ 3:43pm

This is what you get when you let the conservative types run the country.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Phillip, 17 Mar 2009 @ 3:57pm

Re:
Nice try 0/10

This is what you get when you have government trying to regulate everything. It doesn't matter which group only what the target is...

Government intervention and regulation is unnecessaryerwww especially when trying to use technology that does not work.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
fattyboombatty, 17 Mar 2009 @ 4:14pm

Re: Harold you moron
Nice one Weirdo - the government imposing this ill conceived plan is a Labor government - a (supposedly) left-wing, union favouring, commie outfit (if you listen to the opposition). In fact, the previous government (the ironically named Liberal party), who governed as conservatives, dismissed the plan for a national filter on the basis of it being impractical. Harold - you really add nothing to ANY of the discussions on this site other than ignorance. and I hear you like to masturbate frequently
[ link to this | view in thread ]
SteveD, 17 Mar 2009 @ 4:24pm

Wikileaks is next
Seems like they've banned parts of wikileaks too;

http://www.wikileaks.org/wiki/Australia_secretly_censors_Wikileaks_press_release_and_Danish_ Internet_censorship_list,_16_Mar_2009
[ link to this | view in thread ]
tim, 17 Mar 2009 @ 5:02pm

now their own page..
now to really test how commited they are, people have been posting the link to the very same abortion site on ACMA wikipedia page.... are they going to threaten wikipedia? or blacklist their own entry?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACMA#Internet_censorship_and_criticisms
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Tamara, 18 Mar 2009 @ 1:16am

fattyboombatty look at the facts
fattyboombatty, yes it is the Labor party bringing this in. But look at the reasons. They want to suck up to the Christian-nutjobs Family First. Due to the 2004 senate result, when the Liberals won a tonne of seats, the ALP need his vote on anything they want passed, so he's using this as leverage.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
fattyboombatty, 18 Mar 2009 @ 1:59am

Re: fattyboombatty look at the facts
Tamara, to be honest the reasons for implementing this filter absolutely befuddle me. I have no idea why someone would want to impose a filter on me when I don't want one.

If I am doing something illegal, then prosecute me. If I wish to have an interweb that is free from morally bankrupt options then spend hundreds of millions of dollars to provide that option for me. But DO NOT arbitrarily and secretly block my access to the tubes - makes me feel all stabby.

My original comment was directed at the absolute ignorance spewed by Weird Harold in not only this discussion, but almost all of the discussions of this site. Troll or not - there is nothing to be gained by allowing his FUD to be spread without retort.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Sabian, 18 Mar 2009 @ 3:10am

Aust. Fed Senate Estimates Transcript
http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/committees/estimate/11635/toc_pdf/6530-4.pdf

Here's a transcript to a recent Senate Estimates discussion on the blacklist, its intended uses and the potential for things to go wrong... it's 133 pages, so I recommend keyword searches... I didn't read the whole thing, that's for sure.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2009 @ 2:44am

"So why is the regulator moving ahead with it?"

Maybe that regulator has simply gone off the reservation?

Then again, maybe it's part of a Xanatos Gambit by someone who fancies himself a Darth Sidious. You know, like when the guy facing you across the chess table makes an unexpected and stupid-looking pawn move, and you go "What the?" and then three moves later "Oh, fu..." and he goes "Checkmate".
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Lucybt34, 4 Jan 2010 @ 3:17pm

Re
I suggest see pluses of home page just before opting for custom essay uk in the essays writing organization. And some students would likewise see the good data corresponding with this good topic over here.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
top seo company india, 24 Nov 2010 @ 2:00am

If you have power to do their is no need to any support. If you are a loser then need to a support.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
paul webcam, 7 Jun 2011 @ 9:55am

this is a very great post http://www.webcam-livesex.info
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Konrad Jenkins, 10 Feb 2014 @ 7:46am

Interesting article. There has been alot of talk about internet censorship going here in the US recently as well. Good, bad, or indifferent, it would be a monumental task to get a handle on everything that goes on on the internet. Especially when so many sites are hosted in other countries. It would be a Herculean task, to be sure.

Konrad Jenkins | http://www.meterboxsecurity.com.au/services.html
[ link to this | view in thread ]