For anyone well versed in mainstream media, you might not have heard much about the Australian Government’s plan to impose mandatory internet filtering at the ISP level. The plan, which seems to have bipartisan support from both sides of parliament, follows trials of ISP level filtering which proves that the proposed system will slow internet speeds, block legitimate sites in error, and still allow access to material that should have been filtered.
Rather than trust the parents of australia to ensure appropriate safeguards for their children, the government instead has chosen on an act of censorship which has greater implications than just net neutrality. While the government may claim that they are implementing this plan in the interest of protecting Australia’s children, their actions reek of censorship, particularly following their recent attempt to silence critics of the filter.
If you aren’t already familiar with the plan, I suggest you check out the No Clean Feed web site, run by Electronic Frontiers Australia, and make up your own mind about the government’s plans.
More reading/listening:
- Interview With Mark Newton of Internode Re: Australian Internet Filter (Tech Wired Australia)
- Stop the Great Firewall of Australia (Electronic Frontiers Australia)
- The high price of internet filtering (ABC News Australia)
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I really do think that these policies would be needed. It would not be possible for parents to execute strict protection. Experts should be needed to deal with this.
I have to say I disagree. I don’t feel that any individual on this planet can protect a child better than their own parents. Giving parents a false sense of security by providing a firewall that doesn’t provide 100% protection is scary. The firewall will only block web content – it won’t block predators in chat rooms or on IM, and that is why children should always be supervised while on the internet.