Australia introduces web filters to censor the internet. Don't let it happen here!

Australia introduces web filters to censor the internet. Don't let it happen here!

www.exploringinfinity.c om

By 2011 Australia will no longer have a free and open internet. Australia has introduced web filters to censor the internet country-wide. Banned websites will be selected by an “independent classification body guided by complaints from the public”, said Australian Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.

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By 2011 Australia will no longer have a free and open internet. Australia has introduced web filters to censor the internet country-wide. Banned websites will be selected by an “independent classification body guided by complaints from the public”, said Australian Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.

The Australian government conducted a 7 month trial of the web filter system that they plan to use and claim that the technology is “100% effective”. One report says that the government already has 10,000 sites that they are prepared to censor as “unwanted content”. Senator Conroy said that they will be testing the filters against the ACMA blacklist of prohibited content, which is mostly child pornography, as well as filtering of other unwanted content.” He also said “the list would contain illegal and unwanted content but we still have to see what would end up on that list.” I can see it already. Not only will they block disgusting and illegal websites but the censorship will not end there. I promise that technology such as this will be abused and the freedom of all will suffer for it.

Instead of merely blocking these websites why don’t they shut the websites down and criminally charge those who are running illegal websites or child porn rings? Why block the content and leave it on the internet if it’s so bad and unlawful? Why can the government decide which websites are okay and which are not okay if they are not breaking any law? Can the government decide what you are and are not allowed to know? If you are an entrepreneur or an internet publisher like myself, should the government be allowed to decide if your new business or website gets the same traffic speed as everyone else who pays for the same services you do? Should they be allowed to block your website or business from the internet if they don’t like what you have to say? I don’t think so. The government needs to stay out of people’s business and stick to what it’s supposed to do which is run countries properly, lawfully, and with respect for its people and their privacy.

We can not let what has happened to the internet in China and Australia happen to our internet here in Canada, the United States, or anywhere else that has not already succumbed to the anti-internet freedom movements coming from the corporate owned government officials from around the world.

The Public Interest Advocacy Center (PIAC) published a report called Staying Neutral: Canadian Consumers and the Fight for Net Neutrality. You can read the whole report here. In the report the PIAC says:

“Canadians are frustrated by interference with their Internet connections and want their rights protected. It’s not clear to them that the Internet is neutral enough in Canada.”

Canadians need to show support for net neutrality. Without net neutrality entrepreneurs could be pushed out of the market by big corporate entities who pay internet providers for the good positioning on the web. Political groups could be slowed by internet providers or their corporate masters. Innovation would be stifled, we would lose access to information, and competition to the corporate masters would be limited. We can not allow this sort of corporate government manipulation of the internet to happen in our country.

The internet is our most important tool and until now we have been enjoying what has been termed Net Neutrality for many years since the internet was launched publicly in 1992. Net Neutrality means that those who own the Internets infrastructure must maintain the integrity of the data that passes through the network. This has kept networks from blocking, degrading, or prioritizing content, services, or applications based on who owns, uses, or created them.

Common-Carrier laws have long regulated the way telecommunications services have been operated. They require communications carried over the telecommunication networks to be carried without discrimination. Since most people’s internet connections are run through telephone DSL lines I’m pretty sure that these rules apply to the internet in Canada as well. Canada’s Telecommunications Act states:

Unjust discrimination
27.(2) No Canadian carrier shall, in relation to the provision of a telecommunications service or the charging of a rate for it, unjustly discriminate or give and undue or unreasonable preference toward any person, including itself, or subject any person to an undue or unreasonable disadvantage.

Content of Messages
36. Except where the Commission approves otherwise, a Canadian carrier shall not control the content or influence the meaning or purpose of telecommunications carried by it for the public.

Please show support for a free and open internet and support net neutrality! Write to your government officials and tell them that you want net neutrality and that they should support a free and open internet. Don’t let them take away the most useful tool known to humankind!

www.exploringinfinity.c om
(visit the link for the full news article)

I was under the impression it already had these filters, Australia is a joke, editing parts of video games and now the internet, not a place I would care to call home.

reply to post by On the level


Well I do call Australia home, born and bred Aussie
I also do not post on here too often.... fear of being flamed I think!

I believe the filtering you refer to was initially voluntary. Seems not too many were jumping at the chance for more Federal Censorship so it looks like it may be enforced. Pretty used to that kind of thing here unfortunately. Of course it's all for our own good and please....'think of the children!'
Then again, maybe that is simply my own opinion, as I am sure there are some who would disagree - this country has a lot of people who cannot see the forest for the trees......

The Gov is also proposing the concept of having an R rating on some video games - pretty certain I read that this is because the new Alien vs Predator game could not be classified.

For my own interest only, I wonder if you could tell me which particular game/s have been edited? Not that I don't believe you, I would not put it past the Aust Feds at all....just interested only (used to run a video game store)

Cheers from sunny Australia,

VA

Reply to post by On the level

Not just video games. Movies too. The banned media list fir Australia is like something out of Puritan age colonial America.

More media is banned in Australia than in Singapore.

Yet Australia spends more on video games than America. Rght behind the UK who spends more on video games than any other nation on Earth.

Just learned that yesterday and have dying for a place to use it.


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Reply to post by Verum Astrum

7 Sins Banned because of high impact of sexual references.
50 Cent: Bulletproof (game related to real celebrity 50 Cent (rapper)) Banned because of high impact violence and cruelty.[3] A censored version was later released.[citation needed]
Alien Vs Predator Banned because it was Refused classification.
Blitz: The League Banned because of drug use.
BMX XXX Banned because of sexuality and nudity in relation to incentives and rewards.[4] A censored version was later released.[citation needed]
Dark Sector Banned because of high impact violence. A censored version was later released.
Dreamweb Banned because of a scene of sexualized violence. However, the game was censored, and re-released with an M rating in 1996 for "Medium level animated violence."[5]
Fallout 3 Banned because of in-game drug use. Edited world wide due to the insignificant change that was done. Therefore Australia got the same version as other countries with a MA15+.
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin Banned because of high impact violence, Warner bros. interactive later appealed the decision and received an MA15+.
The Getaway Original released uncut, more content was found that was deemed too much for the MA15+ rating. A censored version was later released.
Grand Theft Auto III (Most of the GTA games have been banned) Banned because of sexual violence. A censored version was later released. PC version was released uncut.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Had its classification revoked following the Hot Coffee controversy and sexual violence. A censored version has since been classified MA15+.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Pre-Censored before submission because of sexual violence. PC version was released uncut.
Grand Theft Auto IV Pre-censored before submission because of sexual violence. An uncut version was later released for the PC. A patch was later released to completely uncensor the PS3 version and the 360 version. All expansions are unedited.
Left 4 Dead 2 Refused classification as it failed to gain a MA15+ rating. An edited version with all the gore taken out has been released.[6]
Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude Banned because of sexuality and nudity in relation to incentives and rewards.
Marc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure Banned because of high impact violence and the glorification of graffiti.
Manhunt Was available for a while, but banned afterwards because of high-impact scary violence and cruelty.
Manhunt 2 Never submitted for rating in fear of it being banned.
NARC (2005 update) Banned because of high impact violence and illegal drug use.
NecroVisioN Banned because of high impact violence.
Postal 2 Banned because of gross, abhorrent content (urination, high impact violence, animal cruelty, homophobia, etc.)
Phantasmagoria Banned because of high impact violence, cruelty, and a scene of sexual violence involving rape.
Reservoir Dogs Banned because of high impact violence and cruelty.
Risen Banned because of sexual activity and drug use related to incentives or rewards.
Sexy Poker Banned from being released on WiiWare due to nudity used an incentive. Edited worldwide and this edition received a lucrative M rating
Shellshock: Nam '67 Banned because of high impact violence; however, it was re-rated MA15+ by the Classification Review Board in its uncut form, upon appeal.
Shellshock 2: Blood Trails Banned because of high impact violence.
Silent Hill: Homecoming Banned because of High impact violence such as: Drilling into body parts. Konami has since modified the game to meet MA15+ guidelines.
Singles: Flirt Up Your Life Banned because of sexuality and nudity in relation to incentives and rewards.
Soldier of Fortune: Payback Banned because of high impact violence. Activision has since modified the game to meet MA15+ guidelines.
Tender Loving Care Banned because of high impact violence; however. It was however submitted for rerating and has since been re-rated MA15+.
The Punisher Banned because of high impact violence. Edited worldwide and this edition was passed through with an MA15+. Australia got the same version as America.

There's more including film and literature. It's just a pain to copy and paste on this stupid phone.


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reply to post by Verum Astrum


I know Grand theft auto 4 was edited for Australia as remeber reading about it and thinkling what the hell is going on down there. Australia is a beautiful country but it seems to be great at some issues like immagration and terrible at censorship.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


WOW that is quite a list! Thank you very much for that.
Bulletproof and Manhunt passed thru my fingers a few times, but yes most of those games never made it to our store (rental store). IMO they probably were originally purchased via ebay.
Sigh....guess I shouldn't be surprised at the length of that list (plus more as you say) after all I DO live here....
Well, we still have great beaches - gotta be a plus, right? Having said that though, Bondi beach is now using spurts of music to inform (remind) patrons to reapply sunscreen every 3-4 hours.

What is WRONG with this country? grrrr

Thanks for your efforts,

VA

Thread about this already posted here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Very bad news if this goes ahead.

reply to post by On the level


Yep fantastic landscape if you actually get out of any of the major cities, for sure. The people are more 'Australian' the further out you get (my opinion only).

As for immigration...shhhhhh...that is akin to talking about how racist we arent

And censorship - well it seems people outside of Oz tend to know more about it than the residents! I was aware of games like Manhunt and Postal being banned by did not realise the list was so comprehensive.
And I worked in the industry for three years! Wow...just wow.

reply to post by Verum Astrum


That's the nature of government bannings and censorship. Even in this day and age of cross-world texting in seconds a people can still have no idea what's really happening to them.


A pretty good source of info for Australia:

www.refused-classification.com...

I cant stand bannings and censorship and prohibitions of any sort. I'm perpetually pissed off by the very concept and driven to madness by the apparent wide acceptance from drug prohibition, to media censorship to gun banning.

listen to all the sanctimonious yanks protesting their right to mindless violent media...its very rich coming from a country that is sick and rotting from the inside out. every level of your society is maggoted with courruption, all your institutions have been hijacked and used to build wealth for the few and damning the rest of you...and all this with your complicity! you know why?.......cause this generation and ESPECIALLY the americans are the most entertained, the most distracted, the most self centered generation to have ever been born.
listen close....the REAL danger of these violent games and the reason why they are so prolific...is they are aimed at the kids. it programmes them and desensitizes them to acts of brutal violence. makes it more acceptable. i've heard interviews of teenage soldiers in the iraq/afghanistan comparing the war to video games! and that is the reason for the big push behind these games...when i hear some a'hole professors latest findings of improved co-ordination as a result of console games, i KNOW its an agenda!
the mind of a child is hard wired by his experiences in those formative years...and lets face it, regardless of adult ratings...just like porn...these things invariably find their way into childrens hands.

reply to post by KritikalMass


Why are you letting media raise your child?

If we sanitized everything that could potentially fall into a childs hand we'd live in sterile cubes without windows.

Do a parents job for your child or your government will treat you all as children.

Sounds like that exactly what you want.

Which child did it save to ban Bruno? Class of Nuke'em High? Banning the Cool Devices anime prevented lots of kids from sticking tentacles up their classmates rears?

Which of these movies were banned "for the children"?
www.refused-classification.com...

Perhaps banning Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares has averted the next holocaust?

[edit on 16-12-2009 by thisguyrighthere]

This can't happen in Canada or America, we have to stop this sort of thing from happening!

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


You make a good point about it being the nature of the beast.

I was under the impression that our continuous bombardment of info (admittedly not much valuable info comes through the mainstream)and our interconnectedness across the globe would make access easier and ultimately circumvent censorship. Ahh never mind, living in my own Utopia it seems.

It appears I have a bit of research to do. Still trying to wrap my head around how they are going to limit my freedoms on the internet with this filter.

For example, certain sites will be restricted or banned I assume, but what about selected content like say, a thread on ATS about a video game that is banned here? How on earth will that work?

Many thanks for the link, much appreciated.

reply to post by On the level

I was under the impression it already had these filters, Australia is a joke, editing parts of video games and now the internet, not a place I would care to call home.

Nope...totally unrestricted internet all the way baby...our ISP's hardly ever contact people for downloading illegal content and stuff like that...and I here of US users complaining about such things all the time...so maybe you should think twice..you can't even grow a vegetable garden without a license...and you call the US the home of the free...what a joke...

EDIT:

I would be really !!@$#@ if this did happen though...

BTW...where is this "list" of banned media for Australia...I really want to have a look at that and see what is banned...

[edit on 16/12/09 by CHA0S]

Originally posted by CHA0S
...and you call the US the home of the free...what a joke...

You need to let go of whatever inadequate feelings that are driving this attitude.

You do no good by bickering over the "freer" state while true freedom is had by none.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere

The banned media list fir Australia is like something out of Puritan age colonial America.

If I remember correctly your the one who decided to insult my Country first...I wasn't saying Australia if "freer"...just that the US isn't as nearly as free as you make it out to be...

"The best slave is the one that doesn't even know he's a slave"

EDIT: Not that I really care if you insult my Country...that's fine...I just didn't really think we restricted content as badly as you make it out to be...I thought we were quite lenient...

[edit on 16/12/09 by CHA0S]

reply to post by CHA0S


That isnt exactly an insult. It's an observation. Puritan age colonial America was rife with nonsensical restrictions and bannings. Many of which are still active today under the designation of "blue laws."

Any nation or state with a series of "moral" or "ethical" based prohibitions is just like any other nation or state with a series or "moral" or "ethical" bannings.

If you interpreted as an insult I apologize and suggest you take a step back from the edge of offense and have another look.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


Now that I have a look though...we do have a decent list of banned media...not that I would notice what the shops sell...

EDIT: I think if people want to ban certain websites...than get a web blocker or something...for Gods sake...not everyone is offended by things others might find offensive...

EDIT: What I don't understand...I've seen some really messed up movies...rated X and R...and if it gets any worse than that...I can probably see why they ban it...but the list seems to have some really stupid games and movies on there which I've watched and played and they aren't that bad...so why ban them? Most of them are older media though...I think we are definitely a lot more lenient these days...I've seen things on daytime TV which blow me away...and it constantly gets worse...

Another thing I just realized is our games only go up to an MA rating...games and movies should be the same...but what R games actually exist?

EDIT: I found some R rated games...we seem to have them all over here but they've apparently had parts censored...what a load of bull...

[edit on 16/12/09 by CHA0S]