8/10/2019 News on the Australia Announces Controversial Internet Filter

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Australia announces controversial Internet

filter

SYDNEY (AFP) Australia said Tuesday it would push ahead with a mandatory China-style plan

to ilter the !nternet" despite widespread #riti#ism that it will stran$le ree spee#h and is doomed toail%

Communi#ations &inister Stephen Conroy said new laws would 'e introdu#ed to 'an a##ess to

reused #lassii#ation (C) sites eaturin$ #riminal #ontent su#h as #hild se* a'use" 'estiality"

rape and detailed dru$ use%

+la#,listed sites would 'e determined 'y an independent #lassii#ation 'ody ia a pu'li#

#omplaint pro#ess" said Conroy" admittin$ there was no siler 'ullet solution to #y'er-saety%

!nternet user $roups" the porno$raphy industry and others hae stron$ly opposed the plan" sayin$

any su#h measure would 'e impra#ti#al to enor#e" 'lo#, a##ess to some le$itimate we'sites and

slow down !nternet speeds%

+ut Conroy said a seen-month trial had #on#luded that 'lo#,in$ #ould 'e done with .// per#ent

a##ura#y and ne$li$i'le impa#t to #onne#tion speeds%!nternet seri#e proiders (!SPs) would 'e oered $rants to oer additional ilters o" or e*ample"

0-rated #ontent and $am'lin$ sites" 'ut Conroy said that would not 'e #ompulsory%

Throu$h a #om'ination o additional resour#es or edu#ation and awareness" mandatory !nternet

ilterin$ o C-rated #ontent" and optional !SP-leel ilterin$" we hae a pa#,a$e that 'alan#es

saety or amilies and the 'eneits o the di$ital reolution" he said%

1hile Australia is not alone in moin$ to #ensor online #ontent" e*perts 2uestion the proposed

ilter3s s#ope and ethi#al ramii#ations%

!t is potentially the irst amon$ 1estern demo#ra#ies to mandate internet ilterin$ throu$h ormal

le$islation%

4nline ri$hts $roup Ele#troni# Frontiers Australia said there were $rae #ensorship 2uestions

a'out what would 'e 'lo#,ed" and who would de#ide%

1hat we3re tal,in$ a'out is a ilter that #an only inter#ept a##idental a##ess to prohi'ited

material" said spo,esman Colin 5a#o's%

Any motiated user will 'e a'le to $et around it" it will 'e 2uite easy" so who is this 'ein$ tar$eted

at6

The 7reens party said it was deeply #on#erned a'out the open-ended nature o the ilter" du''in$

it the thin end o the wed$e or #ensorship%

The #entre-let 8a'or party does not hold a ma9ority in the upper house and will need the 7reens

ote to pass the laws" whi#h will 'e introdu#ed to parliament in Au$ust :/./%

!n 5uly +ei9in$ a'ruptly postponed a plan to install !nternet ilterin$ sotware on all #omputers sold

in Chinaater a storm o protest%

+ut the #ommunist $oernment maintains 'road !nternet #ensorship under a system o #ontrols

du''ed the 7reat Firewall o China%