Australian web censorship

16/12/09 posted by Liz Niland

In case you haven’t heard already, the Australian Government are planning to implement controversial internet censorship legislation next year. Not alone in the ISP filter planning department, Australia is one of 15 other Western democratic nations beginning such censoring programs in 2010. While some countries - such as Denmark, Italy and Germany - currently operate a similar system on a voluntary basis, Australia’s censorship will be mandatory. This legislation - along with the proposed balance of blacklisting power - has had everyone from child protection groups to online piracy advocates up in arms.

One of the biggest issues surrounding this move is the public complaints mechanism that will be used to add websites to the ACMA-monitored blacklist. While there’s no denial that the nastier side of the net is best left hidden, critics, such as GetUp spokesman Oliver Maccoll, are concerned that the ideas of a smaller, more influential group may result in websites being banned that are not offensive to the majority of users.

“We are really concerned about the public complaints mechanism because it hands a lot of power to the moral minority which is ultimately bad for freedom of expression,” he said. “In the past mechanisms like this have seen classic literature like Catcher in the Rye and even the story of the Kelly Gang banned here in Australia.”

Given the plan has received support from major ISPs, it looks very much like a definite part of online life in 2010. Hopefully part of the government’s $125.8 million budget (for the entire package over four years) will go towards ensuring sensible censorship that takes into account the views of the majority - not just the slightly offended minority that felt the urge to send an email.