GoFuckYourself.com - Adult Webmaster Forum - View Single Post - Australia now pushing for a MANDATORY filter to block 'hardcore' porn, gambling, etc?

Odin · 10-29-2008, 03:06 AM

I am not one to put on a tinfoil hat, but the Australian Government (when compared to other liberal democracies) has always been pretty draconian - it is just that most of us don't feel or realize it. Media freedom in this country (according to independent reports) is worse than many dictatorships, our "anti-terror" agencies pretty much do what they like and we have very draconian laws in regards to free speech.

When this was an opt-in single-tier filter only I didn't worry, when it became an opt-out single-tier filter I knew a lot of business would be lost but Australia was a small market (of course I had civil rights concerns beyond that), when it became a two-tier (one with mandatory bans and filters on content that is "illegal") and the other with optional filters for kids I started to really worry. When I realized they are already pushing to ban all sorts of content that crosses into the potentially illegal field in the first mandatory tier I got pissed.

Apart from the hardcore pornography ban which I am certain will occur down the line - if not now(remember it is already illegal to host such content on Australian servers) I think this is where a lot of us will start to realise how "regulated" Australia is when it comes to speech. On top of porn, gambling, etc, expect to see an Australian Government warning quite often when following controversial political links, religious links, etc if this shit goes through. Want to learn about Islam? You better make sure you are reading a Government sanctioned version that doesn't break our "hate" laws. Want to read about shady activities the AFP are getting up to that are illegal for the mainstream media to report? Well too fucking bad.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/techno...955916155.html

Donate to the EFA to stop it: http://nocleanfeed.com/

10-29-2008, 03:06 AM
Odin Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: au Posts: 2,545	Australia now pushing for a MANDATORY filter to block 'hardcore' porn, gambling, etc? I am not one to put on a tinfoil hat, but the Australian Government (when compared to other liberal democracies) has always been pretty draconian - it is just that most of us don't feel or realize it. Media freedom in this country (according to independent reports) is worse than many dictatorships, our "anti-terror" agencies pretty much do what they like and we have very draconian laws in regards to free speech. When this was an opt-in single-tier filter only I didn't worry, when it became an opt-out single-tier filter I knew a lot of business would be lost but Australia was a small market (of course I had civil rights concerns beyond that), when it became a two-tier (one with mandatory bans and filters on content that is "illegal") and the other with optional filters for kids I started to really worry. When I realized they are already pushing to ban all sorts of content that crosses into the potentially illegal field in the first mandatory tier I got pissed. Apart from the hardcore pornography ban which I am certain will occur down the line - if not now(remember it is already illegal to host such content on Australian servers) I think this is where a lot of us will start to realise how "regulated" Australia is when it comes to speech. On top of porn, gambling, etc, expect to see an Australian Government warning quite often when following controversial political links, religious links, etc if this shit goes through. Want to learn about Islam? You better make sure you are reading a Government sanctioned version that doesn't break our "hate" laws. Want to read about shady activities the AFP are getting up to that are illegal for the mainstream media to report? Well too fucking bad. http://www.theage.com.au/news/techno...955916155.html Donate to the EFA to stop it: http://nocleanfeed.com/ Last edited by Odin; 10-29-2008 at 03:07 AM..