US eyes Australian Government web plan

US eyes Australian Government web plan

www.perthnow.com.au

Obama administration officials have been meeting with industry leaders and experts to find ways to increase online safety, as they try to strike a balance between securing the internet and guarding Americans' privacy and civil liberties.

Cyber experts and US officials are interested in portions of the plan, slated to go into effect in Australia in December. But any move toward internet regulation or monitoring by the US government or industry could trigger fierce opposition from the public.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I don`t know how our internet will be affected here in Australia come December,But I know American ATS members have spoken very negatively about the net filter.

I just saw this and thought this maybe a way for your Gov to get a foot in the door to do whats going to happen here slowly but eventually?

Will the US citizens accept this as something needed?

www.perthnow.com.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by gps777

But any move toward internet regulation or monitoring by the US government or industry could trigger fierce opposition from the public.

Since when did the lousy SOBs give a damn about that?!

There's 'fierce opposition' to war, rising taxes, corruption, poverty and erosion of civil rights and it seems to be getting worse.

Why not 'eye' the Chinese model? It's the 'Shi take Mushroom Internet' where you sit in the dark all day and get fed BS.

My ISP is super quick to let its customers know that they's downloaded a movie torrent that one is supposed to actually buy. Why not have that same service provider work for its customers and say "Hey, found out your computer is helping to spread something bad." For all I know that "something bad" could eventually affect some local governemt computers, that may affect federal computers, etc. Sounds like a cheesy '80s movie right?
See, I am completely against more big brother acts and laws. So let's say some country decides to launch a netbot that just eats data like there's no tomorrow. Blowing up a bank is bad, sending something to destroy all it's data and servers is nearly the equivalent, save for the loss of life. Yet, how would this be different than some country storming Laguna Beach, or any for that matter?

Is it possible that reading one solitary article about this can completely brainwash me into thinking this type of protection might be a good idea? I don't know, that's for MK-Ultra to discuss. So. . .if I have strayed from my semi-rebelious belief and have turned into one of those "I'll give up freedoms for peace of mind" types, someone please set me straight.

reply to post by Kandinsky


Yep I agree.

I`m a bit worried here in Australia that places like ATS might come under this filter and only get the MSM.

And all under the guise of safety and security,the US seems like they are trying to get a toe in.

reply to post by gps777


I don't think government should try to regulate the weg, any attepmt just turns against themselves. We saw it Germany with the "Bundestrojaner" or "Federal Trojan". Eventually they had to dismiss it.

Hold on to your hats! Those pesky PTB are going to enslave us all through the use of Australian government web plans. I would have never seen it coming if it hadn't been for you OP, now lets band together under some sort of alternative web site before they shut it all down with kangaroos...

Originally posted by gps777
Will the US citizens accept this as something needed?

As a US citizen, I can say this is not needed nor wanted by me. First off, how is my ISP going to know if my computer has a virus without monitoring every last bit of my internet traffic? They could write a program but they can't install it on my computer without me knowing. Either of those options is also a violation of my rights and the 4th Amendment(not like it's stopped them before).

Second, if more people actually knew how to effectively secure their computers from viruses/worms/hackers, this would be a non-issue. So many people don't realize how important it is to keep your programs up to date, especially Windows! I'd love to blame Microsoft for making an inferior product, but in actuality, most personal computers run some form of Windows which makes it the biggest target. Macintosh has recently started seeing viruses pop up as well as they gain market share.

Back to the OP, the day they take our free flow of information, which we call the internet, is the day the human race is lost to tyrants. I hope to never see that day myself!

Originally posted by thov420

As a US citizen, I can say this is not needed nor wanted by me. First off, how is my ISP going to know if my computer has a virus without monitoring every last bit of my internet traffic?

I`m not very computer savy,my guess would be tracking a virus back to your computer,though don`t doubt all your traffic would be monitored.Though I have no idea.Might be a good question for Sceptic Overlord to answer.

Second, if more people actually knew how to effectively secure their computers from viruses/worms/hackers, this would be a non-issue.

Good point.

Back to the OP, the day they take our free flow of information, which we call the internet, is the day the human race is lost to tyrants. I hope to never see that day myself!

If after December Aussie members go silent,I wont be able to tell you your right and we are lost to our tyrants here.Once in, things are hard to reverse.

I hadn't heard about this yet. I did know the government here in Oz was intending an ISP level Filter, but claimed to have scrapped that idea and was leaving it up to the individual ISP's to monitor for themselves.

So how this pans out is new to me, unless it is simply the ISP level filter under another name.

Saying this is going to get me ridiculed because it has happened before, but it is the truth.

There exists right now about a million or more scams per minute trying to con people for their identity an money on the internet.

Just today I got about 6 e-mails claiming to be the IRS and they need my info, providing a spoofed link to some random website. There is about 4 e-mails in my box pretending to be UPS and I have a package on hold that needs to be delivered, and I need to fill out info. There is about 6 e-mails claiming to be awesome credit card deal that I should apply for which is fake. And, how often do I get a chance to have millions of dollars to my bank account from Nigeria? To often.

This doesn't include the millions of rouge websites which are getting cheaper and cheaper for thieves to own which spoof legit stores, banks, services, etc., which will just take your money and send it overseas to some foreigner laughing all the way to the bank with no way to track them.

The internet is a real-virtual world with very little authority. The real-virtual world is getting larger and more popular, and younger people are getting better access, and so are the thieves and con artists.

It is the truth when I say the internet is a con artists dream, and sprawling with illegal activity (not talking about file sharing).

It is the truth when I say innocent people are being taken advantage of every day by evil men on the internet.

It is the truth that something should be done to reduce the crime rate. I'm not saying add censorship, or spy on people, or kill anonymity, and privacy... but do something to help these poor innocent people out.

As a computer tech. it's almost like watching little ol' ladies get their purses snatched and you not doing anything about it.

That's just the truth.

reply to post by Tayesin


I hope your right.

I`d forgotten all about it after all the noise concerning the web filter from a year or so ago,then read this article a little while ago saying its coming in this December.

With all due respect to the sensibility of securing both safety and privacy for each nation's population, it is up to the population of each country to do whatever it takes to persuade their government to ensure that censorship remains with the individual internet user. It is no good whinging and whining on ATS or forums like this, you need to direct your ire and angst at your respective government. Be proactive with your voice and your feet, otherwise, governments will please themselves. They will spin your total enslavement as being for your and your children's benefit.

If they truly begin to regulate the web, then you will see massive increases in cyber attacks, which negatively will draw even more draconian censorship. You will end up with the freedoms you once had (and took for granted) only by the proportion of your docility. Australians are showing that to be the case, and pretty soon, other nationalities will follow suit.

Originally posted by 0ne10
Saying this is going to get me ridiculed because it has happened before, but it is the truth.

If it happens I`m sure its because the threat of Gov censorship is very dangerous.

It is the truth that something should be done to reduce the crime rate. I'm not saying add censorship, or spy on people, or kill anonymity, and privacy... but do something to help these poor innocent people out.

As a computer tech. it's almost like watching little ol' ladies get their purses snatched and you not doing anything about it.

That's just the truth.

For sure

I`m amazed at how many gullible people are out there,its often on the news over here,with people being taken by scams.

I personally will simply not respond to any emails,unless its from family etc.Its crazy to give out any finacial details even if it seems like an email from your own bank.

Finding these people and persecuting them should be a high priority.

reply to post by 0ne10
Monitoring all your traffic and comparing it to a blacklist you aren't allowed access to is a step too far. It cuts into personal privacy and is wide open to exploitation as a form of unfettered surveillance without court orders or permits (currently illegal since 1979).

So who gets to dictate the correct flavour of morality? Who determines what the average Oz netizen is allowed to see? Will it be party political? Religious? How much say will corporate lobbyists have over net content?

So far, the list has included gay rights, kennel clubs, gambling sites, adult porn and stem cell research sites. Funny enough, none of these things are illegal in Australia! In particular, they aren't illegal for *adults.*

The firewall doesn't protect people from spam in their inbox. It doesn't know which websites are run by frauds. It can't stop frauds from spoofing websites or moving from one IP to another.

Added to that, it's a piece of cake to subvert the firewall. Proxies, onion routers and VPN tunnels get through...no problem. Check it out, they do it in China too!

So at the end of the erosion of civil liberties and the ever greater constraints on personal freedom...is the cost worth it? Is it bollocks!? It stops good people from getting on-line and limits their experience whilst logging their every click. The bad guys carry on. That it ever even got to this point pisses me off more than I can express. It's another example of sick politicians forcing through BS legislation and procedures to masturbate their ego with. The UK came close with ID cards that nobody wanted. We live in a so-called democracy where they've terrorised themselves into seeing perverts and terrorists all the time. 'If you've nothing to hide' and 'think of the children' is the sleazy is the slogan call that takes away liberty and peace of mind. We don't have a say in this horrible society they are creating from their own greed and ridiculous fears.

Liberty taken is rarely returned.

reply to post by Kandinsky


I agree with a lot of your post.

I have one question though... should we just let the illegal activity continue?

reply to post by Divine Strake


How do they know what you have downloaded? I don't understand. I use Time Warner cable for my ISP, and use Fedora Linux as my operating system. Set up firewall, close some open ports, install tinyproxy. With Firefox as my browser, I use Autoproxy. Unplug my modem for 5 minutes, I have a new, different IP address. I do this every day, before booting up the machine. Time Warner has not a clue to what I download, and most likely don't care either.
Microsoft might want to take issue, but the IP is so big there is no possible way for them to keep track of every download and the IP address associated with it.
I'll bet you are using an unsecured Windows platform and IE, aren't you?

The internet lets you see and hear things, nothing more. There are only three apparent dangers from the internet. I will go over them, problem and solution.

1. Minors being solicited for sex.
Solution: Better parenting. Monitor child internet use.

2. The believed loss of profit through sharing of copyrighted materials.
Solution: A new business model and/or a revision of copyright law.

3. The internet as a conduit for communication by enemies of the state or terrorists.
Solution: Cut the problem at the root and don't chop at the branches. Change our foreign policy and quit policing the world, meddling in the affairs of other nations.

The internet has existed fine for many years as it is, leave it alone. We don't need a policeman here.

There are better fights to fight.

Originally posted by autowrench
reply to post by Divine Strake

 

How do they know what you have downloaded? I don't understand. I use Time Warner cable for my ISP, and use Fedora Linux as my operating system. Set up firewall, close some open ports, install tinyproxy. With Firefox as my browser, I use Autoproxy. Unplug my modem for 5 minutes, I have a new, different IP address. I do this every day, before booting up the machine. Time Warner has not a clue to what I download, and most likely don't care either.
Microsoft might want to take issue, but the IP is so big there is no possible way for them to keep track of every download and the IP address associated with it.
I'll bet you are using an unsecured Windows platform and IE, aren't you?

Time Warner keeps track of every IP address they issue, to which account it is issued, what date and time it is issued, and what content is being accessed by that IP address.

Time Warner knows everything you do online. The question is not if they know the information, but how they will use it, share it, or how long they will keep it.

Originally posted by thov420
First off, how is my ISP going to know if my computer has a virus without monitoring every last bit of my internet traffic? They could write a program but they can't install it on my computer without me knowing. Either of those options is also a violation of my rights and the 4th Amendment(not like it's stopped them before).

The current technology is called "Deep Packet Inspection". This allows the ISP to study the content of the data being transmitted between your computer and, say, a webserver. There was a recent problem in the UK where some of the major ISPs were found to have run secret trials with a company called Phorm, who used DPI to build up a profile of the user to offer targeted advertising.