Internet Censorship in Australia « The Technology Column

31Mar/10Off

Internet Censorship in Australia

The first known instance of mandatory internet censorship in the free Western world and it had to happen in a country that due to bad decisions by previous governments to sell off a public asset containing all of the county's copper lines and internet infrastructure, already have slow internet access with pathetic usage caps.

But now, the purported government now want to make up for the previous government's mistakes by reclaiming Telstra (or at least the wholesale side), make a new fibre-based network up to 100Mbps, then slow it down again with an internet filter, which should be called out for what it really is, an internet censorship regime.

The government went to the polls with a voluntary filter, then emerged on the sly with a mandatory filter. I think every magician in Australia should turn in their tophats, rabbits and wands, as this was certainly one of the biggest tricks the nation had ever seen.

The Communications Minister, Stephen CONROY, whom like many other ministers in Australia, has no actual experience whatsoever for his portfolio and has advisors whom seem nearly equally clueless in what the Great Firewall of Australia will actually do.

“Wont somebody think of the children!” is the general war cry, yet many people are now starting to see past that facade and see the truth: the filter is not meant to protect the children at all, in fact, it will have the adverse effect, as well as slow down the pipe dream National Broadband (100Mbps) Network back to current ADSL speeds, and be essentially an information censor so the government can remove/block access to information that doesn't suit the current purported government's ideals with plenty of opportunity for scope creep. You can almost hear a distant “Show me your papers” even now.

A lively and up to the minute discussion is happening on the Whirlpool Broadband Forum with commentary, links, updates and more that is probably the most reliable place to find out more and be kept informed.

So remember, the internet censor, the Great Firewall of Australia will not work, will NOT protect the children, high traffic sites such as youtube and facebook are to be excluded and the plan seems to be the result of a back room deal with extremists who seem to want nothing more than to be the great speed bump for technological progress of Australia.