Conroy has back flipped...

[hutch]

THE Federal Government's controversial plan to censor the internet has been shelved until a review can be conducted into what sort of material should be banned.

Under the plan, internet providers like Telstra and Optus would be forced to block access to web pages containing RC material.

RC stands for "refused classification".

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy today admitted Australians were concerned about what kind of material could fall into that category, and said he would push for a review of the classification guidelines.

"Some sections of the community have expressed concern about whether the range of material included in the RC category, under the National Classification Scheme, correctly reflects current community standards," Senator Conroy said.

"In order to address these concerns, the Government will recommend a review of the RC classification to state and territory ministers, be conducted at the earliest opportunity.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/technology/communications-minister-stephen-conroy-shelves-controversial-plan-to-censor-the-internet/comments-e6frfro0-1225889790995#ixzz0tA0d0GkA

Really means wait until after the election...

[occidentalis]

THE Federal Government's controversial plan to censor the internet has been shelved

 

Ouch.

[PhoenixSon]

 

 

[Yeti101]

Don't get too excited.

Very few reviews of classification guidelines have ever resulted in the rules being relaxed. You can bet every religious conservative in the county will make their own submissions to any such review and continue to lobby hard. Note also that since any change to national classification rules requires a consensus from the state attorneys general (remember R18+ games rating fiasco) I would not expect any result to be speedy or satisfactory.

What we do have now is 70% of internet users in Australia being forced to accept "voluntary" censorship that still lacks transparency - there is no indication that we can verify what websites are being blocked, now or in the future.

[Yeti101]

OK people, the long awaited Inquiry into the Australian film and literature classification scheme is now taking submissions - this includes the Government’s review of the Refused Classification (RC) category. http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/legcon_ctte/classification_board/index.htm

The terms of reference http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/legcon_ctte/classification_board/tor.htm include a lot of different areas, but when you read them, you will agree that it seems highly unlikely that ths inquiry will result in less restrictions. I predict just the opposite. Many highly motivated organisations such as the Australian Christian Lobby will be making multiple submission of their own and encouraging their follows to to the same. So, I think it important that people of differing viewpoints make their own submissions to this inquiry. I know that I will be.

Since we know this is the fore-shadowing of Conroy's next tilt at internet censorship, this is worth keeping track of and participating in.

[lickapop]

why fight it when you can go around it:)

im such a sly lazy prick sometimes lol

[Alice]

why fight it when you can go around it:)

im such a sly lazy prick sometimes lol

 

Because the majority probably don't know how to. And they shouldn't have to.

[lickapop]

fair call

The option is there anyway...and easy to do

Edited November 22, 2010 by lickapop

[Kingshroom]

Why does government always think they know what is best for the taxpayers.

Anyone who voted for labour should be damn well ashamed for any big brother censorship that hits our shores.

[hutch]

Why does government always think they know what is best for the taxpayers.

Anyone who voted for labour should be damn well ashamed for any big brother censorship that hits our shores.

 

I agree.... but if ya going to damn them damn them as LABOR not what ya mrs does at the end of 9 months Why won't they release the business plan????? cause it stinks thats why. Not feasible and will cost the earth...

[IceCube]

why fight it when you can go around it:)

im such a sly lazy prick sometimes lol

 

Lol. I think they were planning to make circumventing and promoting how to circumvent it illegal as well. That being said it would still be easy to do, just difficult to get the message out.

[synchromesh]

Where do you draw the line though?

"What, they're arresting all tea drinkers? ...Oh well, I guess I'll just become a full-time coffee drinker then. Problem solved..."

All said and done, I fail to see how they'd ever come out on top with this. Destroying the Australian internet industry isn't exactly the best way to get votes... Actually, if anything, it's probably one of the best ways to get a revolt.

[hutch]

Where do you draw the line though?

"What, they're arresting all tea drinkers? ...Oh well, I guess I'll just become a full-time coffee drinker then. Problem solved..."

All said and done, I fail to see how they'd ever come out on top with this. Destroying the Australian internet industry isn't exactly the best way to get votes... Actually, if anything, it's probably one of the best ways to get a revolt.

 

Count me in....pitch fork in hand...where do you want me to stand

[synchromesh]

Just outside of a Free-Speech Zone.

[Distracted]

why fight it when you can go around it:)

im such a sly lazy prick sometimes lol

 

Censoring the internet will make it slower and using a proxy will only slow it down even further.

[lickapop]

Where do you draw the line though?

"What, they're arresting all tea drinkers? ...Oh well, I guess I'll just become a full-time coffee drinker then. Problem solved..."

 

or maybe I will just drink more tea and they can arrest me! problem solved;)

[Fenris]

http://images.encyclopediadramatica.com/images/thumb/5/5d/Anonymous-australia.jpg/250px-Anonymous-australia.jpg

[Yeti101]

Note this well- The fun police are likely to be putting their 2 cents worth in http://tinyurl.com/2eaod9r

[mac]

You can bet every religious conservative in the county will make their own submissions to any such review and continue to lobby hard

The religious conservative (or C.U.N.T.S) need to learn how to use the off button or Net Nanny

Edited November 23, 2010 by mac

[TG83]

I've been running encryption ever since the filter was proposed, won't be changing any time soon either, you loose around 25% of your actual connect speed but the encryption is the highest I know of at 2048bit, it also can route via any of 16 countries and thousands of IP's. We have also boycotted the NBN installation here until they release details of what will be in the filter. Sooner or later it will be brought back up, provided a change of government doesn't force it's closure (although that didn't stop the GST so probably wont change this either).

Italy has a system of internet filtering but it's range is SOLELY for child pornography, we should have that here too at the absolute most, not simply an RC block. The range of RC material in Australia at the moment is already extremely broad and heavily restrictive, should the filter be passed on the basis of RC the internet will quickly head towards solely a place for business alone, they've already forced the business only lifestyle on us in daily life and killed off most of the communities social life with thousands of new laws passed in the last 10 years, the internet is the only freedom we have left and I definitely will be doing anything I can to avoid a RC filter at all costs, even if it means having super low connect speeds and using military level encryption.

The past levels of freedom of speech and information in this country has lead to a lot of positive changes and movements in modern society, the release of the stigma for the gay / bisexual community being the most dramatic change I've seen, but also separation of state and relgion, freedom of / from religion and recently a slow change in perception and building of respect in most of greater community regarding the aboriginal people of this country. With freedom of speech being tightened further each year, the only way for future movements like this to occur and succeed is via the internet as a free unmoderated source of speech and information, the filter puts all this in jeopardy when used under a refused classification method for controls on all internet content.

[synchromesh]

The range of RC material in Australia at the moment is already extremely broad and heavily restrictive, should the filter be passed on the basis of RC the internet will quickly head towards solely a place for business alone

 

http://www.internet2.edu/

[Yeti101]

You would be lucky if it were that interesting.

[synchromesh]

What do you mean?

[Yeti101]

I mean the internet Australia would have access to might (in a massively unrealistic worst-case-scenario kind of way) be even less cool than Internet2.edu.

Or did I miss something?

[synchromesh]

What I meant was that replacing the Internet with Internet 2 could be the final objective.