Australian Net Filtering - Why is this not a big issue?

Hey guys. long time sideliner, first time poster, and this done it.

This is something that should not be happening, especially in this country.

I can understand some people being concerned about thier kids getting access to potentially bad stuff on the net, but that is where parental responsibility comes into it. If your going to leave kids unsupervised on a computer, they could possibly come across "bad" sites. Would you leave your kids to play unsupervised on a busy highway?? No you wouldnt, so why do that with the web??

My main concern, like a lot of others on here, is the gradual removal of any and all freedoms because the minority have problems, and because the PTB want thier own way... What ever happened to democracy? well i guess we are slowly becoming just another state of the "Good 'Ole U S of A"...

Still, i guess, in the end it dosn't really matter. What the (or any) government wants, the government gets, regardless of what the majority of it's constituants want...

Cheers.
Peace Out..V
Scorpius.

I posted this thread a few weeks ago:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

It was a suggested method of how we, ATS members, could collaborate and combat this together.

One person was interested.

Most ATS members don't want to act. They just like to type and discuss things to death.

Originally posted by Silver Shadow
You must be joking surely.

Any attempt to ban popular forums or chat groups will cause a fire storm of public outrage. Politicians will be hung from lamp posts.

Banning the worst child porn sites, or terrorist sites that incite fanatics, tell how to make homemade weapons or explosives are a very different thing.

This is a frightening comment. A very similar argument was used when the Govt. started talking about "terrorist watch lists". The idea of blocking dangerous information becomes entirely reliant on what you consider dangerous at any given time.

In China, the word "freedom" is censored. True it is China, but the principal is the same. After the implementation of such a "filter", you might believe that you will be provided a list of sites that have met the blocking criteria, but you wont. Sites that are deemed offensive at that time will just disappear. Once gone, how would you expect to be able to determine that the site in question met the criteria?

eg: A book was banned, you never read it, you never saw it and you never will. Why was that book banned?

The statement that any attempt to block popular chatrooms would result in public outcry is extremely naive. Where would this outcry occur? The news? or another controlled media? Perhaps on another site... that was blocked.

..Ex

It's happening with US merchant accounts now. It's closer to home than you might think.



[edit on 18-2-2010 by rexusdiablos]

[edit on 18-2-2010 by rexusdiablos]

reply to post by paraphi


You can already control the content that your kids view online. There are plenty of programs, easy to use, most are even automatic, that apply filters to content, and prevents them from seeing what they shouldn't.

It has flaws, like everything else, but at least, you can still control your own freedom and protect your children.

Furthermore, most websites now are obligated to have a age restriction section, and the same applies to videogames and movies. Some even go further and make different versions for different Age Rating.

In the end, you should be the one to choose what to look at.

Taking that away from you, is taking your freedom, and honestly, it's taking the whole concept of internet.

If you want something that is controlled, very selective about it's content and you can't see what's real or censured by other powers/people, just buy a newspaper.


[edit on 18/2/10 by Tifozi]

This has been a major stink in ATS quite often actually, and most agree that the AU government is gone freakin mad...there are video game companys that are actually considering not bothering to sell to Au simply because the government considers all their citizens as children...

All we can say is, speak loudly to your neighbors, your community, and get going on reclaiming your freedoms and libertys...you either protect all forms of free speech, or none...your choice really, but once you allow for legislating morality, then you no longer have a choice as to what is acceptable...from adult stuff, to politics, etc...

In America, we often have people trying to push in slippery slope legislation...most of the time it gets slapped down...Australia fell down that slope some years back and its going to be one hell of a road to climb out of it. Good luck.

Where are the Ozzie ATS members? I'd like to hear an insiders $0.02.

What no one has fully cottoned onto yet which makes it so bad is that filtering in one country can affect others as well. New Zealand (where I live) route a lot of web traffic through Australia (i.e if viewing a site in say Asia we first send the request through Australia then it's sent on to Asia) so any filtering within Australia will affect us just the same. If they instead decide to check IP addresses first they still slow our connection down which makes things such as gaming almost impossible.

Normal people don't have an issue with restricting public viewing to child pornography, rape sites and other filth you see on the web every day.

Why would you have an issue with that? Why wouldn't you want someone to censor that? "It's not my fault he's a paedophile." Something to hide perhaps?

Originally posted by secretbear
Normal people don't have an issue with restricting public viewing to child pornography, rape sites and other filth you see on the web every day.

Why would you have an issue with that? Why wouldn't you want someone to censor that? "It's not my fault he's a paedophile." Something to hide perhaps?

rape? what about mock rape, what about bdsm, what about fantasy roleplay, what about "gross" sex, what about people looking young, or looking like twins...what about twins (incest), what about any and everything you find distasteful. If it is clearly illegal...I mean actually illegal, then such sites should be removed and the people distributing it charged...otherwise, thats it...censorship of morals is wrong...got it, wrong. Government should not or ever dictate what is morally objectionable if its not illegal. Au has banned video games they deem to violent, want to have people register if they hold different political views, etc.

You are now trying to diminish the character of people seeing a libery issue impacted with "well, if you dont heart governmental censorship, then your a secret child molester". shame on you.

I believe there is a very high probability that ATS will appear on the block-list if this gets up and running. As we already know, the government plans to block any material that would be classified RC (refused classification). The problem is that the government considers discussion of euthanasia to be an RC issue. Euthanasia in Australia is illegal and anybody that promotes or asissts with euthanasia can get in serious trouble - just google "Philip Nitschke".

I did a quick search of ATS and there were 411 hits on "euthanasia". As you would expect, some posts are very much against it and some are very much for it, and some people sit on the fence.

Once the internet filtering goes live, it won't take long for someone to complain about the discussion of euthanasia on ATS and that will be it. Game over.

411 hits on euthanasia on one site is quite substantial and it only takes one single post that could be deemed to be "RC" to seal the deal. Even if there isn't an "RC" type post on ATS now, it only takes a single post from a government agent to have them justifying that ATS is unsuitable for viewing by the Aussie public.

Originally posted by Silver Shadow
Too an American, ANY infringement of personal rights is an abomination.

Once upon a time that was true, but today, all too many Americans are more than willing to hand their liberies over for the sake of percieved safety, or because it's "for the children."

I'm afraid that we're too far down the road on this. The current generation doesn't know how things used to be in this country, or at least how we thought it was. I remember in grade school in the early 60's being taught that my "freedom ended where the other guys nose begins." This seemed very simple and easy to understand at the time. Today, we've changed the other fellows nose into the other fellows idea of what's ok.

You would wounder why they are doing it in Australia and not the United states.I think the big reason why its happening is to protect children and to stop pedifiles from using some parts of the internet.There is too much porn and sex bots on the net already.Yahoo messanger has done little to stop the sex bots from infrultraiting the chat rooms.The chat rooms are full of theses automated sex bot sites.They need to be stopped.Web cams is another dangerious area for children and i believe more strick controls will be rolled out to control web cams.Spam mail is another area that needs more work done to it.Advertising on computer game web sites needs to be changed also.I have seen some dodgy click on add on many childrens game sites.They need to be removed also.Of course we here on ATS will not have to worry.Certain people who have been monitored by the goverment have been placed into a list for security threat identification.They have proberly already been dealt with.

[edit on 18-2-2010 by GORGANTHIUM]

Originally posted by OZtracized
reply to post by SilentShadow

 

Ironically, folks here are too distracted with 9/11, FEMA, Obama, UFO's etc to realise the very core of our freedom is in the process of being taken from us.

We have had far too much freedom on the internet for far too long, time to control it at the source under the guise of protecting our children.

Nobody cares about what happens in Australia because we are a nothing country but we will be a very effective testing ground for this technology and other countries will quickly follow suit.

you re not a nothing couuntry you are just wainting your time to be the new America in the new Asian zone where all the money will go soon lol

*sigh* Ok, so I'm a father, I have two girls, 9 and 11. I can not stand the thought of them seeing and reading filth on the net, really I cant. But I also think destroying their individual freedoms is way worse. Its a bloody stupid idea this filtering.
The thing is, and most parents I talk to don't even know this, but the state of Victoria (not sure on other states) has had free internet firewalls, and 'net nanny' type software. FREE! If your a worried nancy pants parent, who cant parent... You can request this software free. Software which they could add the damn blacklist sites to via updates. What the hell is wrong with this idea??? Well, a few things for starters, firstly, kids will find a way to bypass it just like they will with these stupid ISP based filters. Secondly, the government has done nothing to let the people know about this software. They decided that forcing a govt controlled mandatory filter would be far more beneficial to them. It stinks.


Oh, and a question, as I understand, dont us aussies only really have an implied free speech? I mean, I dont think we actually have it in writing like the US do we?


Conroy is as corrupt as they come, $250 million tax break for tv providers, ridiculous net rollout scheme. Where the hell is the liberal party in all this??? They are spineless, oppositions in the past would have feasted on these issues to death, but so long as the budgie smugglers are on, all is well.
*sigh*

Originally posted by SaturnFX

You are now trying to diminish the character of people seeing a libery issue impacted with "well, if you dont heart governmental censorship, then your a secret child molester". shame on you.

Read, digest, and understand before you jump to rash conclusions, missing the point entirely.

[edit on 18-2-2010 by secretbear]

This filter is an absolute joke, treating all australians as though we are children.
But i think part of the reason not many average australians are up in arms about it is because we seem to have a very naive attitude about our own government, as already demonstrated in a few posts, believing that this will only target sites with child pornography and the like, but from what i remember reading about this a few months ago is that the australian government will not tell us what sites are going to be blocked, i honestly expect ATS to be on the list just so the government can quiet any possible 'discontent' in its citizens.

Something very strange and wrong is going on in our country, more and more it feels like we are being told what to think and how we should be, the politicians are not here for us they tell us how its going to be instead of finding out what we, the citizens want, and most of my fellow australians still have the same naive "she'll be right" attitude.
Thats my opinion anyway.

Originally posted by Qumulys
Oh, and a question, as I understand, dont us aussies only really have an implied free speech? I mean, I dont think we actually have it in writing like the US do we?

The Australian Constitution does not have any express provision relating to freedom of speech. In theory, therefore, the Commonwealth Parliament may restrict or censor speech through censorship legislation or other laws, as long as they are otherwise within constitutional power

Free Speech and the Constitution

Originally posted by secretbear

Originally posted by SaturnFX

You are now trying to diminish the character of people seeing a libery issue impacted with "well, if you dont heart governmental censorship, then your a secret child molester". shame on you.

Read, digest, and understand before you jump to rash conclusions, missing the point entirely.

[edit on 18-2-2010 by secretbear]

I think everybody on ATS would disagree with you secretbear. The Australian government won't stop at limiting the actual sites that should be censored no more than the US government will limit the definition of terrorists to those that are actually terrorists.

Just because a person is opposed to losing their civil liberties it doesn't give you the right to suggest that they have something to hide, as you've done, smiley faced or not.



[edit on 18-2-2010 by rexusdiablos]

Bla, bla bla. Discuss it to death each of you as you please. I'm ready to act. Is there not one initiated individual viewing this thread whose willing to collaborate and actually do something about it?

I made a post about this on my facebook recently.
I was appalled to see an 80% approval rating being spouted on the news, and decided to find out where it came from.

Somethings really fishy about that 80% support of an Australian ISP filter. Somethings not right.
Actually I just found the source of the info.
www.zdnet.com.au...

A ONE THOUSAND ONLY person survey over the phone with the questions worded in a way that you'd seem like a bastard to be against it.
That 80% number is now being repeated over the media, when numerous other surveys have found the majority of Australia is NOT in support of it.

Here are the results of a 10,000 person survey. techwiredau.com... 80% against.

I agree Australians are pretty naive.
They don't have a problem rebelling against the government, and there isn't a feeling of being repressed here. But the thing is, we get worked up over absolutely worthless crap here, whilst missing the important issues.

That coupled with an extreme need to be politically correct in Australia, means we're often too afraid to openly discuss certain topics, or we feel pressured to take a certain side.

I don't know if this is a good example, or even if i'm right -
But the whole Pauline Hanson thing years ago, I believe all she was trying to say was 'Hey maybe we shouldn't be letting so many immigrants into our country'.
And oh boy.... did she get tarred and feathered for that.

But after looking at the Mexico/America situation in recent years, and even Australia in recent years.... I wonder if a few people here in Australia have had second thoughts?

Anyway, the Australian media is something to be very weary of and it WILL influence Australians to think what they want us to think, in regards to the ISP filter.