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International media covers Internet censorship in Australia
Mar 31 2010, 10:52The last two weeks have been particularly positive for the Open Internet campaign against the Government’s proposal to censor the Internet. The policy is beginning to get the mainstream media scrutiny it deserves and Senator Stephen Conroy is clearly beginning to feel the pressure:
- the Government delayed the introduction of the legislation;
- Senator Conroy felt it necessary to launch a desperate attack on Electronic Frontiers Australia;
- the release of the transparency and accountability submissions saw major technology companies like Google and Yahoo criticise the filter;
- the filter policy received mainstream media attention on the 7pm Project, ABC TV News, Radio National Australia Talks, as well as prominent articles in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian; and
- the US Government confirmed it had concerns about the policy and had communicated those concerns to the Australian Government.
We are also now beginning to see the international media cover this story. Australia’s proposal to censor the Internet has been reported in the UK, Canada, United States and has been picked up the Associated Press. All of this coverage just continues to place the Government – and Senator Conroy in particular – under more pressure, as they begin to appreciate that it is not just geeks that are appalled by this policy. Everyday Australians, as well as people and governments all of the world, are opposed to this misguided and impractical policy of censoring the Internet.
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Has Microsoft / Bing made a statement as yet about this appalling proposed legislation? Just wondering where they are in the debate?
Microsoft's policy is set out in two blog posts:
- http://blogs.msdn.com/augovtaffairs/archive/2010/…
- http://blogs.msdn.com/augovtaffairs/archive/2009/…
Regardless of their stance on filtering, Microsoft/Bing is frothing at the mouth to corner any market that Google evacuates over censorship.
Is there any legitimacy to the theory that the filter is a favour to Steve Fielding to "encourage" crucial deciding Senate votes in other areas?
Thanks Peter, not sure it makes it clear at all. All I can read into it is that Microsoft are looking at products to filter against the worse out there online and seem resigned to a filter, just opening up a debate on who should be the decided censoring party.
But the majority of people do not access the really bad stuff. it is surely up to the individual to self regulate what content they access and what they don't. We have organisations in place that are there to track down serious online pornography and pedophiles.
As a mum to 3, I find the government policy on this appalling. I have educated my children about online risks as well as the great stuff they can do online. Just as I have taught them stranger danger, I don't need the government telling me what we as a family can watch, read or not. If there needs to be any initiative I suggest it should be along the lines of educating people about digital media, its opportunities and the risks, so they can decide for themselves.
Conroy is like a child in a school playground.
When he gets a differing view spoken, he, like a child, will not listen but will punch the opponent in the face. He thinks that he's won if he can knock his opponent down, rather than listen and answer criticisms
Fi Bendall, good to see some parents taking responsibility. I think Commy Conroy is backing all the scared mums to go with him on this. All he has left are the nutjob churchies and some ignorant people left.
I'm 22, don't view child porn, am not an extremist looking for terrorist information but AM opposed to the filter. The counter arguement I have heard for the filter typically is simply the response "OMG YOU'RE OPPOSED TO IT, YOU LIKE CHILD PORN!!!
Australia’s proposal to censor the Internet has been reported not only in the UK, Canada, United States, but also in The Netherlands:
http://www.nrc.nl/achtergrond/article2486694.ece/…
In fact, that is how I found out about this whole thing!
I'm sure it is being reported in other non-English speaking countries as well.
The Aussie Internet filter is being reported in Al Jazeera:
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/20…
Media Man covers strong reasons why the filter is a very bad idea.
Greg Tingle
Director
Media Man
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