Australian Net Filter Begins in July

A trial version of the internet filter is set to be implemented by Australia's two largest ISP's, Telstra and Optus, the very same one that was dropped last month due to lack of support, but it seems there has been some negotiations going on behind the scenes to quietly introduce it.
It's been announced that 500 websites have been identified from an international database on child abuse websites to be blocked by the filter.

Many people, myself included know that this filter won't stop the intended targets from doing what they're doing, it's punishing the average internet user whilst the real scum lose a few hits. Surely I'm not the only one to realise the stupidity on merely blocking the URL of websites that they know exist. Why not shut these websites down??

In an interesting turn of events, Telstra may now be pulling out of the filter trial, thanks to the possibility of attacks from Lulz security and Anonymous.

Another aside here is the way these hackers are being portrayed in relation to this, for example, The Australian makes this statement:

The other main concern is a group that identifies itself as Anonymous, another unstructured hacker collective that claims to be opposed to any form of internet censorship, and has carried out attacks on Australian government websites because of Canberra's support for an internet filter on child pornography.

Basically portraying Anonymous as supporters of child pornography.

I hope Telstra pull out for good, not only because it's a pointless waste of tax payers money ($9.8 million) but also because I'm a Telstra customer and don't really want these 500 websites expanded to thousands of websites being deemed inappropriate. Like ATS?

I also don't want my internet and phone to be disrupted by hackers.

Next week will be very interesting...

If you would have said this 15 years ago to the people they wouldn't have believed you.

And now they're just fine with it.

It makes me sick to be watching the watchers on this side of the fence.

You're right they need to totally shut down any websites that are involved with child porn.

I understand your viewpoint on thinking they might become the new net nannies, but if the websites that they are blocking are full of crap...I say go for it. There is way too much vile crap out there on the net..it needs to be shut down or blocked.

reply to post by gabby2011


If they know enough about these websites to block them, they have enough information to shut them down too, where everybody wins.

Merely blocking them won't do anything.

Originally posted by Chadwickus
reply to post by gabby2011

 

If they know enough about these websites to block them, they have enough information to shut them down too, where everybody wins.

Merely blocking them won't do anything.

ok ..get your point totally...if they are participating in ,and enticing criminal behavior...they need to be SHUT DOWN.

The ALP will lose the next election. Gillard will be out on her ass. If people want internet filters, then they need to implement their own at the home level and stop encroaching on other peoples freedoms.

IRM

To those people who say this is against child porn, you don't have the experience some of the members of ATS have with networks/hardware/software/encryption and are therefore not informed enough to make this claim.

GM

its allready filtered...and monitored by satan himself

reply to post by InfaRedMan


The damage may be done by then.

Political suicide for Gillard really....net filter and carbon tax.

reply to post by Grey Magic


That's just fluff to keep the great unwashed happy.

Ironically it won't stop anyone.

Bye Bye ATS,we here in OZ will truely miss you! It was good while freedom lasted.

The messed up thing is...

I'd wholeheartedly support blocking Child Pornography, if it weren't for the fact that this law, and its enforcement, won't stop there. Granted, today it might be 500 child porn sites, but tomorrow...?

How long will it be until dissenting voices are silenced?

Just taking a wild guess on the outcome here.

Day 1: Child abuse sites get blocked, amateur netsurfers and concerned parents rejoice.

Day 2: Admins of these blocked sites find ways around the filters, word spreads on underground networks, like it always does.

Day 3: The great internet filter gets hacked. Anonymous gets fingered, bad hackers etc, something about cyber terrorism, yadda yadda.

Day 4: With the filter back under control, the government takes steps to censor sites verging on the edge of creating distopia. Anything less than golden to the great overlords is deemed a terrorist threat/pedo haven/4chan/shrine to Carrot Top.

Day 5: Hey, why can't we access ATS any more? Why are the alternative media sites nowhere to be found? Why is Google giving me a stream of celebrity fashion blogs in every search?

Day 6: The brave go underground, the casual surfer learns how to match leopard print shoes with purses and I pray hard for the zombie apocalypse.

I've always felt there is a connection between this net filter and the National Broadband Network being implemented in a similar time frame...

Telstra and Optus will be migrating their customers onto the network.

Speed broadband up, then choke it down with the filter.

WTF are they doing?

We should simply hit them where it hurts. When the filter is brought in simply cancel our ISP accounts. This would affect every business that uses the Internet including government departments who save millions by use of the Internet. It wouldn't take long for them to reverse their decision to restrict our freedom of speech. In any case the Opposition will be using the Internet filter as part of their election campaign, they swear that it will be repealed, along with the Carbon Tax which they also are against they will be swiftly removed from power and we'll have what we want.