[plug] Internet oppression - watch your backs!

[Rob Hall]

so what???   We've had tight controls on other media for years!   About time
the internet caught up with the same standards.

Regards,


Rob Hall

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-plug at linux.org.au [mailto:owner-plug at linux.org.au]On Behalf
> Of Bret Busby
> Sent: 04 May 1999 02:52
> To: 'PLUG'
> Subject: [plug] Internet oppression - watch your backs!
>
>
>
> The article below is taken from the Australian Online, at
> http://technology.news.com.au/news/ .
>
> It would appear that anyone who dares to criticise (including criticising
> Telecom's mates, like Microsoft, and criticising government policies) will
> be punished, if the members of feral parliament, and, the australian
> broadcasting authority hve their way. Maybe the book, "1984", was
> wrong, as
> far as the year goes, but the predictions seem correct.
>
> No doubt, as tellycom is one of the first signatories, and, possibly the
> most complained about feral government body, and, given the political
> censorship imposed on Internet access in "China, Malaysia and Singapore",
> which are cited as role models anyone who dares to criticise, using the
> Internet, in Australia, will no doubt have the federal police, or
> some other
> organisation, taking retaliatory action against them.
>
> It is clear that the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and
> Political Rights, which guarantees freedom of political
> expression, will be
> further disregarded in australia.
>
> Bret Busby
> email:     bret at clearsol.iinet.net.au
> fax/phone: +61 8 9399 3820
> _____________________________________
>
> Alston blames ISPs for censorship move
> By DAN TEBBUTT and JAMES RILEY
> 4may99
>
> IT Minister Richard Alston signalled yesterday that Internet censorship
> legislation was being imposed partly because the industry had
> failed to take
> action for three years..
>
> Senator Brian Harradine – the balance-of-power Independent targeted by the
> Government's proposal – is still not satisfied, describing the
> draft law as
> "watered down".
>
> "This is a weak Bill – you ought to be happy," he told an
> industry group in
> hearings before the Senate IT Committee.
>
> Groups campaigning against the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online
> Services) Bill are worried that Senator Harradine will push for even
> stronger controls.
>
> Senator Alston said that despite working closely with the
> Internet Industry
> Association (IIA) for three years, the Government was not satisfied with
> progress on an industry code of conduct.
>
> "The problem is that they thought it [the code] would be in place a long
> time ago," he said.
>
> Only a minority of ISPs – notably OzEmail and Telstra – have signed the
> draft code.
>
> "We don't want a situation where a couple of market leaders are doing the
> right thing and a lot of others are able to thumb their noses and keep
> bringing in offensive material," Senator Alston told The Australian.
>
> IIA executive director Peter Coroneos defended the industry's
> performance in
> developing the code.
>
> "No other industry association in the world has attempted such a detailed
> statement with respect to the Internet," Mr Coroneos said.
>
> "We would have wanted it to happen faster, but we've been calling for a
> supporting legislative framework for 18 months."
>
> ISPs were reluctant to sign the code until legislation guaranteed
> indemnity
> for removing illegal content, Mr Coroneos said.
>
> The proposed Bill went far beyond what was previously
> contemplated, he said.
>
> "The Government has made our job harder, but we're still
> committed to what's
> reasonable and workable.
>
> "This is a market issue, and there needs to be a chance for a market
> response."
>
> Senator Alston insisted the Bill would not necessarily make filtering
> mandatory.
>
> "At the end of the day, if it's not technically feasible or commercially
> viable, then it won't be reasonable to require it," he said.
>
> But IIA chairman Patrick Fair called for more ironclad
> guarantees, pointing
> out that these provisions were not written into the law.
>
> Meanwhile, the Australian Broadcasting Authority has seized on
> the proposed
> legislation as a chance to extend its powers.
>
> In evidence to the Senate committee, ABA officials invoked China, Malaysia
> and Singapore as role models for online content control.
>
> Although opponents of the Bill said Malaysia was backing away from Net
> censorship, ABA deputy chairman Gareth Grainger told senators: "Whatever
> noises Malaysia is making about this issue, they don't intend to allow
> problematic content on the Internet in their country."
>
> The ABA has lodged a claim for $1.9 million in funding and five
> extra staff
> to administer Internet content complaints.
>
> "It's really going to be necessary for us to receive resources to
> undertake
> this very significant addition to our regulatory function," Mr Grainger
> said.
>
> The ABA anticipates ISPs will bear the cost of educating users about
> filtering and use the latest technologies for the task.
>
> Mr Grainger said the IIA code of conduct would have to be changed to work
> with the proposed legislation.
>
> He was confident an online content regime could be operational by January,
> since the Bill gave the ABA more power over ISPs than traditional media
> industries.
>
> "This legislation is somewhat tougher than the legislation that applies to
> broadcasting."
>