TRIALS of mandatory internet censorship will begin within days despite a secret high-level report to the Rudd Government that found the technology simply does not work, will significantly slow internet speeds and will block access to legitimate websites.
The report, commissioned by the Howard government and prepared by the Internet Industry Association, concluded that schemes to block inappropriate content such as child pornography are fundamentally flawed.
If the trials are deemed a success, the Government has earmarked $44 million to impose a compulsory “clean feed” on all internet subscribers in Australia as soon as late next year.
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But the report says the filters would slow the internet – as much as 87 per cent by some measures – be easily bypassed and would not come close to capturing all of the nasty content available online. They would also struggle to distinguish between wanted and unwanted content, leading to legitimate sites being blocked. Entire user-generated content sites, such as YouTube and Wikipedia, could be censored over a single suspect posting.
This raises serious freedom of speech questions, such as who will be held accountable for blocked sites and whether the Government will be pressured to expand the blacklist to cover lawful content including pornography, gambling sites and euthanasia material.
The report, based on comprehensive interviews with many parties with a stake in the internet, was written by several independent technical experts including a University of Sydney associate professor, Bjorn Landfeldt. It was handed to the Government in February but has been kept secret.
“I definitely think that what the Government is showing publicly ?c is such a small part of what they need to do in order to get this right,” Professor Landfeldt told the Herald.
He said he believed the Government had not released his report because its conclusions were too damaging.
“It’s definitely not going to be workable to get a very significant reduction in access to this [unwanted] content that is available out there – it’s fundamentally just not viable.”
The Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy – despite his promises before Labor was elected that people would be able to opt out of any internet filters – has said the first tier of the Government’s censorship policy will be compulsory for all. This would block all “illegal” and “inappropriate” material, as determined in part by a secret blacklist administered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
December 23rd, 2008 at 6:59 am
HA HA HA !!!!! They’re strugglin to get internet 2 up & running, without hick-ups, LOL !!!
Why don’t we beat ‘em to it, and create internet 3 !!!! Merry Crimbo to 1 & ALL !!!!!!!!!!!
December 23rd, 2008 at 7:26 am
Who are these people and why are the American people following this bunch of Nazis? Always question the authorities when they take away liberties in the name of safety.
WAKE UP AMERICA
December 23rd, 2008 at 8:00 am
internet 3.1.5 with service pack 2-thats the ticket-need to get that quad turbo motem router with built in afterburner-then it will be half as fast as the net we have now-spend-spend-spend-mo money-back to 95
December 23rd, 2008 at 8:13 am
We must at LIGHTNING SPEED Send this to every one you can(BEFORE IT’S TO LATE)!
http://www.ae911truth.org/flashmov11.htm
Sit your famly down over Christmas and have a heart to heart talk with them about what TRULY is going on. Every MAN & WOMAN that works for Gov,Military & Law Inforcment will be with some one that is awake to the facts. IT’S TIME TO STOP PLAYING GAMES WITH THE SHEEP.
Allso show them End Game,Loose Change Final Cut(The best),Terror Storm,Fabled Enemies,911 Chronicles, ALL FOR (((FREE))) I had to state that you can watch it all for free so the TROLL’S on here would not say I am selling Videos.
“TELL THEM OUR VERY LIVE’S DEPEND ON THEIR ACTIONS”
MERRY CHRISTMAS to ONE AND ALL
December 23rd, 2008 at 10:02 am
I guess the secret shadow global government has chosen Australia as the test country for the Internet lock-down project. I hope it fails. Australians need to contract their government representatives RELENTLESSLY. It must be an ABSOLUTE WAR so that THEY respond.
Otherwise the day will come when you won’t be able to piss without them having a camera on you (a Prison Planet)!
December 23rd, 2008 at 11:31 am
Why don’t they just go after site they want shut down , then shut down the whole internet , seems illogical in nature and very very fishing , it like you want to get ride of a few bad apples and you cut down the whole tree ????????????????WTF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 23rd, 2008 at 1:43 pm
@6
Unfortunately the heart of the internet is wires and hardware, and they are holding its beating mess in their hands, they just are not strong enouph to squeeze it slowly without causing major backlash.
December 23rd, 2008 at 3:01 pm
http://www.ExposingChristianity.com
The pen is mightier than the sword.
Everything in Christianity has been stolen from religions predating it by hundreds to thousands of years.
December 23rd, 2008 at 3:34 pm
http://www.jewishcrimenetwork.com
December 23rd, 2008 at 9:02 pm
OK KAHONEEZ,
Maybe there are just a few stories that are not covered in detail on cnn but give them a break. Should they exspose their audience to sensitive materials which offend this diverse society. Change is here Mr. Kahoneez and you should get use to it. The opressed minorities and disinfrachised guest alien workers deserve a job as well as food and shelter. Now don’t be a Grinch at Christmas. Of course news which may cause psychological nudity for some politicians who may have mispoken should be supressed. There comes a time when it is just simply in bad taste to air certain news stories. No need to stir up a hornets nest over a little depression in the economy. Don’t you watch the news. Our new president, (messiah) is sunning himself in Hawaii as I type because he is so confident he came reverse this little wrinkle in the banking industry. So show a little confidence in Mr Obama.
December 23rd, 2008 at 11:41 pm
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!
The situation that we all face in this world is very grave, and I have no intention of minimizing it. We all come here looking for answers, and comaraderie, and truth. (well… except for the USUAL SUSPECTS who have different intentions. You know who you are. And, so do we.)
In the spirit of play, and the spirit of this American season, I want to direct EVERYONE to this brilliant 4 minute video created by National Lampoon, if you have not already seen it yet. I believe that the resulting hearty, light, and free-spirited laughter will be universal. I can hear it now…
THEY win when they succeed in causing you to feel SERIOUS and SOLID.
(and, yes, I am going to copy and paste it all over this, and other sites. So, SUE ME!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxBl9BXLom4
SANTA CLAUS BAILOUT HEARINGS
My gift to all of my fellow humans. Especially to fellow courageous truthseekers.
Happy Holidays, and may all the gods bless you and yours.
(I really think that 2009 is going to be the year that will go down in the history books… in a very big way. Who would have thunk it?)
December 24th, 2008 at 4:58 am
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=SPTRtbLi_yc