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Why Are Australia's Would-Be 'Net Censors So Opposed To Transparency?
from the let's-try-the-best-of-disinfectants,-shall-we? dept
A lot of people have been submitting the news that Wikileaks has obtained and published the secret black-list of websites to be banned under Australia's proposed Internet censoring exercise. The list of more than 2300 websites is about half child pornography and half "online poker sites, YouTube links, regular gay and straight porn sites, Wikipedia entries, euthanasia sites, websites of fringe religions such as satanic sites, fetish sites, Christian sites, the website of a tour operator and even a Queensland dentist."
As Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, explains, by making these lists secret and threatening to fine disclosure of the list at $11,000 per day, the democracy of Australia is "invariably corrupted." There is no due process to to add sites to the list, or to remove them, and as previous leaked lists show, even censorship systems set up to block legitimately illegal sites end up being abused. As web censorship scholar Derek Bambauer has written, an Internet censorship regime should be judged on openness, transparency, narrowness and accountability, but by keeping the list secret and threatening those who would allow democratic deliberation about its contents, Australia's web censors undermine the political process of a democracy.
Kevin Donovan is an expert at the Insight Community. To get insight and analysis from Kevin Donovan and other experts on challenges your company faces, click here.
Reader Comments (rss)
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censorship and openness are by nature opposites. If the general population truly knew what was being blocked, they would be very upset.
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interview request
Good morning,
I’m Shon Walker from ABC Newsradio, the continuous, national news station. I’m the presenter between 1 and 4pm weekday afternoons.
I’m interested in the government’s internet blacklist... and would like to interview Julian Assange... or someone else from your organisation... to clarify what’s happening with the list.
If Julian can ring me as soon as possible, we could work out the potential for a story and interview...
I look forward to speaking with you,
Shon Walker
ABC NewsRadio
Ph: 02 8333.5094
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Re:
I'm not sure the point you are making...are you saying "ignorance is bliss" to the proletariat? Well, let them eat cake, I guess.
I know that child pornography is illegal in my jurisdiction and all pornography is blocked by the firewall at my job site. This does not make me upset in the least, as I understand the reasons for it. Why hide it? Censorship is not mutually exclusive with transparency.
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I think the block list could also include things like sites about abortion or any other subject that the censors decide isn't good for the people. The question is how long before they block opposition politicians (by accident of course) or stop political activism in the country? With a secret list, ANYTHING could be on there for any reason.
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I concur. And if your stance is that this is thus bad for the public, then we agree completely.
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the block list DOES include at least 1 anti abortion site, and thats why its so ridiculous. Its not an illegal site, or promoting anything illegal, its just the censors pushing their own views on the australian public by blacklisting things they dont like.
If they want to block sites (and they are pushing for mandatory filtering, which means everyone in the country using the internet would be forced to accept the filtering), then we should have every right to know what is on the list. If people cant get to the sites, surely there is no harm in knowing they exist.
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Yup, we agree.
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Filters
The filter is easily circumvented.
What are the consequences of doing so?
I suppose it depends upon where you reside.
Some places would put you to death, others a slap on the wrist.
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Re:
"online poker sites, YouTube links, regular gay and straight porn sites, Wikipedia entries, euthanasia sites, websites of fringe religions such as satanic sites, fetish sites, Christian sites, the website of a tour operator and even a Queensland dentist."
If this statement is true, then the person behind this secret blacklist obviously have an agenda they are pushing on the people. I find the fact that there is a fine for disclosing the list very disturbing... Not only is the public not allowed access to the list, anyone who leaks the list runs the risk of getting fined a not-insignificant amount of money... The whole purpose of the fine is obviously to hide the fact that the operator of the list has a bias....
How exactly would the fine work at $11,000 a day?? Once disclosed, the person who leaked the list can't exactly take back the leak. Wouldn't that mean the person will be charged a fine each day until bankruptcy?? I doubt this is true, but that is my interpretation based on the information above...
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This kind of abuse of power and "only we know what is good for you" mentality makes me feel physically ill. The only reason for any government to enforce censorship is to hide its own corruption, out of fear of its own people.
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qld dentist
His site _should_ be banned and any others that play loud unsolicited music on the homepage.
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Re: interview request
Maybe you should try calling him instead of posting your interview request on a blog based in America.
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Re: qld dentist
what ?
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Re: interview request
and ask them who the pervert is that gets paid to have to look at all these images of children being molested to determine the site is bad..
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Re: Re: interview request
why? you wanna apply for the job?
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Re: Re: Re: interview request
why? you wanna apply for the job?
Why? You afraid of being replaced?
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If this statement is true, then the person behind this secret blacklist obviously have an agenda they are pushing on the people.
Huh? That's the only purpose of ANY blacklist.
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Anonymous Coward #12. I'm assuming he's posting from work, and therefore using Internet filtering software. All internet filtering software sold in Australia uses the ACMA blacklist. Wilkleaks was added to the Australia's blacklist in the last couple of days so therefore will be blocked at his work place, so will be unable to contact him from his place of business.
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Someone please mark this day in history!
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It also includes a dentist and everyone knows they're a bastion of evil.
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You're just a disgusting anti-dentite.
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Why no transparency?
Why no transparency?
Two Words ...
Streisand Effect
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