News

International News Comment & Analysis Australian News Cultural Dissent Loose Cannons Cartoons

Hot Topics

Environment Workers & Unions Latin America Anti-war Art & culture Asia Region Indigenous rights

Discussions

GLW Discussions List Links Bolivia Rising Ecuador Rising LeftClick Live from Palestine

Advertising

The following ads are selected by google. For more info click here.

ALP plans to censor the internet

Justin Randell

18 January 2008

The Rudd Labor government has confirmed pre-election announcements that it will move to censor access to the internet. Originally announced by former ALP leader Kim Beazley in March 2006, the plan is outlined in a November 2007 document Labor’s Plan for Cyber-Safety. It states: “A Rudd Labor Government will require ISPs [internet service providers] to offer a ‘clean feed’ internet service to all homes, schools and public internet points accessible by children, such as public libraries.”

On December 31, Telecommunications Minister Stephen Conroy told ABC News, “Labor makes no apologies to those that argue that any regulation of the internet is like going down the Chinese road”. In a cynical attempt to portray opponents of the plan as being in favour of child pornography, he argued “if people equate freedom of speech with watching child pornography, then the Rudd-Labor Government is going to disagree”.

The plan will force Australian Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to censor any websites that appear on a blacklist produced and updated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). According to Labor’s Plan for Cyber-Safety, ACMA will consult with such freedom-loving organisations as the Australian Federal Police and the FBI when updating the list. Individuals who wish to maintain uncensored access to the internet will be forced to opt-out of the “clean feed”, violating their privacy and opening themselves up to further government scrutiny.

Censorship issues aside, the government has yet to release any details as to how technically feasible this plan is. Previous evidence points to filtering schemes degrading speeds and failing to filter correctly. According to the January 7 Australian, “[t]hree previous trials by ACMA — in 2001, 2003 and 2005 — all found problems, including filters allowing banned material through and wrongly blocking legitimate content.”

The announcement has attracted widespread criticism, including from the Australian Privacy Foundation and the anti-censorship group Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA).

In an EFA media release on January 2, chairperson Dale Clapperton said the scheme “goes further than the Coalition’s previous policies, by requiring individuals to opt-out of the scheme rather than request filtering from their service provider”.

“Who decides what is ’appropriate’ for adult Australians to read on the Internet, and according to what standards?”, he asked. “What will happen if the Government decides that information about abortion or gay marriage is ’inappropriate’ at the behest of Family First Senator Steve Fielding?”