He’s now suggesting that only a category of material called “Refused Classification” be placed on the mandatory filter list – and no longer otherwise legal X-18, R-18 and even MA-15+ material – “RC” is stuff the Censorship Board refuses to classify because it falls outside of all possible classification categories: child porn for example, but worryingly also “political” content such as literature that tells you how to kill yourself, or stuff dealing with fetishes which is considered RC in Australia. (Ironically RC is legal to own if it is not otherwise made illegal, but not to distribute or broadcast in any way).

How on Earth Conroy plans to filter P2P traffic is beyond everyone. There is talk of them doing this but they have absolutely no ideas how to. The whole problem with this scheme is that the longer it is proposed, the messier it becomes. Due to the continued sustained criticism by just about everyone – even by child advocacy groups! – of the scheme, Conroy & Co. are left with making up policy on the run.

He continues to avoid addressing the fact that anyone who wants to can simply bypass the filter using a proxy server or better yet, a free VPN service, and the question of how, in that case, this whole scheme is not just a massive waste of taxpayers’ money. The fact is, the guy is a member of Opus Dei, a very conservative Catholic, and heavily influenced by Church policy and he will have his mandatory filter no matter if the whole of Australia be opposed to it or how much of a technical nightmare it may be.

I think the ultimate root of the problem here is that we don’t have good separation of Church & State in Australia, allowing political ministers personal religious convictions to dominate policy, rather than the wishes of the electorate.

Its nuts to generalize p2p as child porn or peer 2 porn because it’s an open communications medium not a child molest ring or a terrorist ring.

but they can use excuses like we will always have child pornography unless we ban p2p and control and restrict all open networks then the principals of the worldwide net is finished. The problem is censorship won’t sto child abuse because if they can’t use the net then they will make their own filth content so banning p2p won’t put a dent in pedophilia but will wreck our civil liberties for the road to hell is paved with good intentions