There is a cancer growing in our society. This problem may seem small, isolated and insignificant, but left unchecked, could grow to affect everyone in the world. Because when a small nation validates a disastrous idea, it gives the larger countries evidence to pursue it – and like domino’s, we all fall.
Logging into a Bogota internet cafe last year as I was backpacking around South America, I nearly choked. Australia’s new government had slightly tweaked their election commitment: they no longer wanted to help parents filter the Internet to prevent their children from stumbling on child porn (children don’t watch child porn, and lets not forget the fact that child pornographers have a sophisticated offline network that bypasses technology), but now the government was going to mandate a “clean” feed on everybody. Mandatory censorship on the Internet is not a future I want. It made my blood boil.
It was to be a filtration regime, that the government would censor whatever they thought was deemed censorable. An unaccountable, shady regime using the high moral ground of claiming to look after children, but in subsequent examinations, has proven to be just the start. A recent leak has shown that there has been considerable scope creep. Pornography, gambling, abortion websites – all the good stuff in life that make conservative Christian’s pray for a flood and famine to clean society up – would be part of this black list, despite being perfectly legal for adults. The question isn’t why is the government banning porn and the like; it’s where will the line be drawn and who determines that? We are seeing a moral crusade, cloaking a very real civil rights issue.
I wrote an email to every senator of the Australia government several months back, speaking on behalf of the Silicon Beach Australia community (which will give you all the background you need). Fortunately it worked – I not only educated, but I was acknowledged from two important senators that the current administration needed to pass the legislation. It was a temporary win, and thankfully since then the Australian mainstream media have taken an absolutely beating on the government. But very rarely does this get international attention.
More recent announcements suggest the legislation is dead in the water. But let’s not get complacent – we are only as safe as the next election, where the numbers in the Senate shift. This has been an issue for several years being pushed by the parties to win the growing Christian conservative vote. This dangerous policy hasn’t died – it’s just undergoing an evolution.
Why the rest of the world should care…and be scared
One thing that I’ve learned from this experience, is that the Australian government will cling onto the flimsiest of evidence and pathetic moral rhetoric, to position their case. Distorted perspectives, exaggerated linkages – it almost makes me laugh and then cry to see how desperate the government is to sell its case, by citing overseas efforts in an inaccurate way, in order to build their case. It is a propaganda war based on lies that we are getting sick of .
If an economically insignificant – but credible nation – like Australia introduces this filteration regime, it means it’s a global precedent. We don’t want a precedent. All it takes is one solid example, and governments around the world can jump out of hiding on this sensitive electoral issue.
The Internet needs to be open, free, and available. It’s going to be the infrastructure of our society that will allow new opportunities for the development of the human race. So when a government starts flirting with the idea of internet censorship – don’t get complacent. Every piece of legislation passed, is a step closer to a control regime we don’t need.
We need to make this issue political suicide around the world. Our public pressure needs to get to the point, where no politician in their right mind, will try to implement this policy. I’m not asking you to suddenly become an activist, but just understand – there is no room for leeway in this. This issue has been under-reported by the media across the world – let’s kill this cancer once and for all. Because unless we exterminate this fake moral crusade, this cancer is going to slowly grow in the background – only for us to realise it’s all over when it’s too late.
It’s not often I will breakout in anger over this, but I think about it everyday (like how my Twitter avatar is in constant protest). No need to chain yourself to a tree – but let’s start making this the bigger deal that it really is.
Australia … small? Are you sure you're thinking of the right place?
I just want to highlight regardless of what you think of Australia, this issue matters. But yeah, we are small – I feel we get ignored in the world for the most part and this is one issue that we can't let hide.
Australia, where is this village? I thought it was one of the Hawaiian islands.
Please elaborate.
You are posting hugely important stuff, and people react trying to be funny.
Actually, Australia's economy is not "insignificant". We're the 14th or 15th largest GDP globally, depending who you ask, out of almost 200 listed countries.
We're also the only Western democracy without freedom of speech guaranteed by law.
Australia has the population of New York City in an area bigger than the continental United States. So yeah its small.
This issue is similar to many where the needs of the few take precedence over the needs of the many. Which of course is wrong.
Australia is not alone in wanting to regulate the Internet with special legislation. In Italy recently there has been a barrage of various initiatives, under the disguise of anti-terrorism, anti-pedophiles, anti-anorexia, etc. etc. summing currently approximately ten different new proposals in parliament. Each of these more or less kneecap the Internet, and Italy's capabilities of participating actively in the building of the online future.
Last week we started an initiative Amo Internet (which stands for 'I (heart) Iternet') to let those come together who feel that the web is a tool that does not need extra rules, additional control, and that rather it is an essential basis for self-expression, and self-realization.
Our first public announcement will be at the IDC Innovation Forum in Milan tomorrow.
It's already growing, in Italy. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/luca-sofri/in-italy…
I think you're absolutely right. The internet needs to remain uncensored. There will always be things on the internet people believe are bad and don't care to see; that doesn't mean we need someone to decide what we can and can't see. We're perfectly able to regulate that ourselves. This is just a textbook definition of a power grab and nothing more.
Australia … small? Are you sure you’re thinking of the right place?
I just want to highlight regardless of what you think of Australia, this issue matters. But yeah, we are small – I feel we get ignored in the world for the most part and this is one issue that we can’t let hide.
Australia, where is this village? I thought it was one of the Hawaiian islands.
Please elaborate.
You are posting hugely important stuff, and people react trying to be funny.
Couldn't agree more. "Net neutrality" legislation is a similar threat. Instead of saying it's "for the children", it's "for the consumer" — which gov'ts tend to think of as children. Who could be against "protecting" people, right?
What censorship and "neutrality" have in common is that they set a precedent for the gov't saying what can and can't flow over the pipes. They may be well-intended, but they are steps down the same road.
I think you’re absolutely right. The internet needs to remain uncensored. There will always be things on the internet people believe are bad and don’t care to see; that doesn’t mean we need someone to decide what we can and can’t see. We’re perfectly able to regulate that ourselves. This is just a textbook definition of a power grab and nothing more.
It is my job to analyse what the kids in my schools look at over the net. I've been doing it in high schools and primary schools for over a decade.
These were my stats:
Incidences of children attempting to look up porn on the net: none.
So a few years ago I killed our filters.
Here are my new stats:
Incidences of children looking up porn on the net: none.
I've always been a firm believer that we should punish, if at all – after someone does something wrong.
Grrrr.
Couldn’t agree more. “Net neutrality” legislation is a similar threat. Instead of saying it’s “for the children”, it’s “for the consumer” — which gov’ts tend to think of as children. Who could be against “protecting” people, right?
What censorship and “neutrality” have in common is that they set a precedent for the gov’t saying what can and can’t flow over the pipes. They may be well-intended, but they are steps down the same road.
You are going a little too far in calling Australia a "credible nation." Australia is a dry little island filled with drunks and wife-abusers and racists that no one in the important countries takes more seriously than they would another Crocodile Dundee sequel.
Not only that, but most Australians seem a little bit mentally retarded, at least the ones I've seen here.
Actually, Australia's economy is not "insignificant". We're the 14th or 15th largest GDP globally, depending who you ask, out of almost 200 listed countries.
We're also the only Western democracy without freedom of speech guaranteed by law.
It is my job to analyse what the kids in my schools look at over the net. I’ve been doing it in high schools and primary schools for over a decade.
These were my stats:
Incidences of children attempting to look up porn on the net: none.
So a few years ago I killed our filters.
Here are my new stats:
Incidences of children looking up porn on the net: none.
I’ve always been a firm believer that we should punish, if at all – after someone does something wrong.
Grrrr.
Australia has the population of New York City in an area bigger than the continental United States. So yeah its small.
This issue is similar to many where the needs of the few take precedence over the needs of the many. Which of course is wrong.
[...] found an interesting article on Techmeme this weekend too, entitled “The Australian cancer that will kill the internet.” The article focuses on Australia’s attempt at censoring the internet for their users, [...]
Australia is not alone in wanting to regulate the Internet with special legislation. In Italy recently there has been a barrage of various initiatives, under the disguise of anti-terrorism, anti-pedophiles, anti-anorexia, etc. etc. summing currently approximately ten different new proposals in parliament. Each of these more or less kneecap the Internet, and Italy's capabilities of participating actively in the building of the online future.
Last week we started an initiative Amo Internet (which stands for 'I (heart) Iternet') to let those come together who feel that the web is a tool that does not need extra rules, additional control, and that rather it is an essential basis for self-expression, and self-realization.
Our first public announcement will be at the IDC Innovation Forum in Milan tomorrow.
It's already growing, in Italy. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/luca-sofri/in-italy…
You are going a little too far in calling Australia a “credible nation.” Australia is a dry little island filled with drunks and wife-abusers and racists that no one in the important countries takes more seriously than they would another Crocodile Dundee sequel.
Not only that, but most Australians seem a little bit mentally retarded, at least the ones I’ve seen here.
We don't need gov't censorship of the 'net, nor radio, nor tv, nor print, nor any bloody thing else. Not in Australia, not here in the states, not anywhere.
And while Australia may be small in populace, it (or at least a romanticized image of it) looms larger than you'd think in the American psyche. Good on you.
We don’t need gov’t censorship of the ‘net, nor radio, nor tv, nor print, nor any bloody thing else. Not in Australia, not here in the states, not anywhere.
And while Australia may be small in populace, it (or at least a romanticized image of it) looms larger than you’d think in the American psyche. Good on you.
Go for it, Liako. you are right on the money. Leaving aside the half wits that use your blog to take a shot at Australia the best functioning democracy in the western world and for that matter the best place to live in, clapping irons on selcted websites is command economy stuff like China and as it would appear Italy,is on to.
What brought the soviet down? had to be television and the internet to overcome the strangulation of the reality of the outside world. Now it has to be the internet to stop the next round of tin pot dictators pushing their agenda of the moment – e.g Galileo and the (highly corrputed) catholic church of the middle ages. Or more recently China in Tibet.what if the horrors of a new Mccarthy power zone held sway in the USA as it did in the 50's! Today the porn sites. tomorrow die welt. Hang in there mate.
Go for it, Liako. you are right on the money. Leaving aside the half wits that use your blog to take a shot at Australia the best functioning democracy in the western world and for that matter the best place to live in, clapping irons on selcted websites is command economy stuff like China and as it would appear Italy,is on to.
What brought the soviet down? had to be television and the internet to overcome the strangulation of the reality of the outside world. Now it has to be the internet to stop the next round of tin pot dictators pushing their agenda of the moment – e.g Galileo and the (highly corrputed) catholic church of the middle ages. Or more recently China in Tibet.what if the horrors of a new Mccarthy power zone held sway in the USA as it did in the 50′s! Today the porn sites. tomorrow die welt. Hang in there mate.
Appell an die Vernunft im Bundestag…
In der Hoffnung, dass sich unsere Volksvertreter im Bundestag einmal mit Experten zusammensetzen, die ihnen erklären, worüber sie da zu entscheiden gedenken, kann ich jedem nur nahelegen, sich einmal die ePetition "Internet – Keine Indizierung…
more needs to be done to keep the preitors at bay