And the pissweak ISPs are doing it VOLUNTARILY!
Most Australian internet users will have their web access censored next month after the country's two largest internet providers agreed to voluntarily block more than 500 websites from view.
Telstra and Optus confirmed they would block access to a list of child abuse websites provided by the Australian Communications and Media Authority and more compiled by unnamed international organisations from mid-year.
The voluntary scheme was originally proposed by the Federal Government last year as part of a wider, $9.8 million scheme to encourage internet service providers to block all Refused Classification material from users as an optional service.
The Government dropped its funding for the scheme last month due to "limited interest" from the industry, but a spokesman for Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said a basic voluntary filter was still on track to be introduced by Telstra, Optus and two small ISPs.
SOURCE
Perhaps the most interesting question is whether the list of banned sites will be released publicly. An early version of the list was leaked and found to have some completely innocent sites listed on it. Wide open to abuse if it is not published in full.
6 comments:
Maybe a list of ISPs that don't censor?
I fully agree with blocking any-and-all sites that show child abuse of any kind, or cater to those who get pleasure from it. In fact, those sites should be completely eliminated, along with the cretins who view them.
Aside from that, i don't not believe the internet should be interfered with (or taxed) at all.
We definitely should have access to a list of all sites blocked in order to keep the bastards honest, with an appeal system for those who are blocked unjustly. All other media that is refused classification is advised publicly and so should blocked sites on the net be. To do less than that is to invite corruption from many areas especially political. It would certainly be an easy way to slow down AGW/MMCC skeptics.
-btm
such lists are never published as the main purpose is to control access to sites that are critical of the government (or rather left leaning pressure groups), not "child porn" or whatever other excuse is used to introduce censorship.
"We definitely should have access to a list of all sites blocked in order to keep the bastards honest, "
so they give you one list and actually use another...
When and if questioned, they mention "national security", "fighting terrorism", and "we don't want people to know URLs of bad sites".
"with an appeal system for those who are blocked unjustly. "
And who's going to decide that? The same people who decide what's on it in the first place, so any appeal would be pointless.
In fact, appeal and you're liable to get arrested, harassed, or at the very least have your internet access mysteriously fail.
Big brother in the land down under what a mess there is
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