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Aussie Govt Pushes Mandatory Internet Filtering to ‘Protect Children’

Plan requires ISPs to block pornography and other objectionable sites, and requires users who want uncensored access to formally opt out.

In a odd twist of fate, efforts to get ISPs to install content filters seems to be all the rage these days in supposedly freedom loving countries. After years of criticizing China over it’s almost iron fist-like control over internet access in that country, an increasing number of Western countries now find themselves pushing to institute similar content restricting mechanisms.

With efforts already under way in the UK and France, now comes a report that Australia is also working to get it’s ISPs to begin filtering the internet. The country’s Telecommunications Minister Stephen Conroy wants them to begin providing so-called “clean feeds” to homes and schools in order to protect children.

Individual users would be able to opt-out of the service and receive unfiltered content, and Senator Conroy rejected criticism from civil liberties groups that state regulation of internet access damaged civil liberties.

“Labor makes no apologies to those that argue that any regulation of the internet is like going down the Chinese road,” he said.

“If people equate freedom of speech with watching child pornography, then the Rudd-Labor Government is going to disagree.”

Luckily for users though, Senator Conroy is concerned about connection speeds, even if it means connecting to a limited Disney-esque version of the internet.

“There are people who are going to make all sorts of statements about the impact on the [internet] speed,” he said.

“The internet hasn’t ground to a halt in the UK, it hasn’t ground to a halt in Scandinavian countries and it’s not grinding the internet to a halt in Europe.

“But that is why we are engaged constructively with the sector, engaging in trials to find a way to implement this in the best possible way and to work with the sector.”

The only questions I have in all of this are who gets to decide what sites are included on the blacklist, and what’s the criteria for defining what a violent or pornographic website is? Some may find boxing violent, and others may not. Some may find sites like Maxim to be pornographic and others may not. This may be crucial to to the plan’s success or failure.

People in other countries are oftentimes bewildered by the intrusiveness of our govt and by the power of our corporate interests, but in this case it seems we and our Bill of Rights come out on top for a change.

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Jared Moya
I've been interested in P2P since the early, high-flying days of Napster and KaZaA. I believe that analog copyright laws are ill-suited to the digital age, and that art and culture shouldn't be subject to the whims of international entertainment industry conglomerates. Twitter | Google Plus


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You know if they are going to ban anything i'd rather they go after excessive violence. I'd prefer my kids seeing naked people than seeing images of people being shot/stabbed/blown up etc. Why are people so against sexuality? I don't get it really. Fair enough hard core porn should be adults only but bloody hell can't parents be responsible for their children's actions just watch what they are doing online. The internet's dying anyway not much left that hasn't been stripped down to some crappy little info. buy the rest garbage. The public need an internet II.

The number one defensive shield for the pro censorship types. THE CHILD!

Typical politicians not knowing what the hell they are talking about. They tend to use the child pornography term to justify banning anything these days because they know the public will just accept it. What shits me about government is they want to ban objectionable sites who the fakk are they to tell me what I can and can't do online and what's objectionable to them? These guys haven't worked a day in their lives never been out and spoken to real people and haven't got a clue about what people think. It's sad.

you are totally right using excuses is sick because what if one day Mr Dictator wants so much power they start creating child porn and planting it in peoples computers. Also what if our government one day plans to t=do a terrorist attack some have suspected Bush & co of pulling the 9/11 attacks in 2001 since he has Saudi friends and some said they seen Dynamite trucks or explosives when the building went down. So our government could be using actual terrorism to take totalitarian control of the American public and the whole protecting whoever or whatever to control the people as well and take trust out of children elderly and parents leaving familes at the mercy of our corporate government. I am not sure if you will agree with my views but I suspect there is dirty work going on underground that we just can't see. I am not just a legit data archiver I am also a watchdog looking for true misconduct and some innocent people have been charged with being a sex offender while some terrible people like Mikey (the one who went after my friend) openly got away and the Center for missing and exploited children did Nothing..... I Repeat Nothing to stop that guy. I feel almost like our government is being corrupted by evil forces some may say Devil some may say secret societies like the skulls and bones Bilderberg Roughchild The rockefellers secret torture camps. I say if you wanna learn the true corruption why filesharing is illegal Try Watching ENDGAME. It talks about how the govt. wants to use all sorts of sick protection schemes (saving the environment Planned Parenthood (genocide organization) and other stuff) is being implemented to kill a majority of the population and to bring a control society where the Rich can be filthy stinken happy rich while the poor have fallen and become slaves in a dark society where places like the Library of Alex. Would be like stopped again. These RIAA the people where right they don't want us to innovate they don't want to stop molesters they rather stop Us and commit treason to control the people. It's undeniable our government is planning a control grid brought you by Rich elites and even a Queen in Europe is in the Bilderberg group.

I think it's safe to say most filesharers are against pedophilia as are most people in general. But using this as an excuse to spy on peoples activities is wrong and kind of sick when you think of it. It's a shame though the general public can't see the devil in this type of legislation. It's one hell of a touchy subject though and something i'd rather not get embroiled into. I personally think this legislation has nothing to do with protecting children it's just and excuse they know works and gives them more powers and another step closer to total control of internet traffic. Oh well we all might someday need to reminisce about how great the internet used to be.

#7 I hope history doesn't repeat itself too. Believe me I want children to be protected. Heck I lost my one friend to a pedophile and I tried to stop him but he got away and bagged my friend. and Yes my friend was a girl that was near my age. I was 16 years old then I felt so angry sad wanted to kill myself and heartbroken because I was in love with my friend and wanted her to be safe. Believe me I am against Pedophilia. I also want filesharers to be protected I am against spying I am against pedophilia I am for filesharing I am against the RIAAs wrong decisions.

I do hope you Americans get Ron Paul in he seems like a good guy. Although I have my doubts he'll make it in. He'd be too much a threat to the other powers that be. Remember what happened to the last run up president that was loved by the people. Hope history doesn't repeat itself.

Also I heard a conspiracy theory that the CIA Hired pedophiles to molest children and bring out this dirty evil content probably to control the American People. I bet Gonzales looked at naked images of children then he got so sick he wanted to spy on children and teens so he proposed this spying law so he can be a pervert. Most of our Senators and our president are criminals and breaking laws. Vote Ron Paul 2008.

#1 I totally agree with you. I suspected since Alberto Gonzales wanted ISPs to spy on people to stop child porn and pedophiles he is using child porn tom go after filesharers. I been against the whole COPA act from the beginning ever since the RIAA sued teens. I AM Against Child pornography I am against molesters but I know the whole anti-child-porn laws were gonna be abused by the RIAA to go after file-sharers. Why can't the cops just stop pedophiles instead of going after file-sharers. They didn't hurt a child they didn't rape anyone why should arresting filesharers and spying on filesharers protect children.

You know if they are going to ban anything i'd rather they go after excessive violence. I'd prefer my kids seeing naked people than seeing images of people being shot/stabbed/blown up etc. Why are people so against sexuality? I don't get it really. Fair enough hard core porn should be adults only but bloody hell can't parents be responsible for their children's actions just watch what they are doing online. The internet's dying anyway not much left that hasn't been stripped down to some crappy little info. buy the rest garbage. The public need an internet II.

The number one defensive shield for the pro censorship types. THE CHILD!

Typical politicians not knowing what the hell they are talking about. They tend to use the child pornography term to justify banning anything these days because they know the public will just accept it. What shits me about government is they want to ban objectionable sites who the fakk are they to tell me what I can and can't do online and what's objectionable to them? These guys haven't worked a day in their lives never been out and spoken to real people and haven't got a clue about what people think. It's sad.







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