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Aussies oppose net filter |
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Aust News Feed
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Written by SNS
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Monday, 06 April 2009 00:01 |
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The federal government’s proposed Internet filter has come under fire from the Australian public who fear their access to information will be unfairly blocked.
The Communications Minister Stephen Conroy outlined what would be blocked under the proposed mandatory filter when he appeared on SBS’s Insight program. Insight: Join the debate online
The latest details of his plan drew widespread opposition from around the nation, the program’s message board and live chat inundated by people outraged by how the proposed filter may limit their personal usage.
Censorship fears
Substantial opposition has stemmed from talks of the proposed filter and a secret blacklist of banned sites, which were likened to government censorship that has the potential to be endlessly extended.
One respondent to the message board compared the filter to the anti-terror sedition laws introduced by the Howard government.
“I am just as angry as this proposal as I was at the draconian anti-terror laws introduced by the previous government, which could feasibly be abused”, James said.
A technical ‘impossibility’
Tech savvy viewers were quick to point out that the technical shortcomings of the proposed filter, arguing that it would be easily bypassed by those with technical proficiency, including children.
One Sydney student admitted that they could already bypass the NSW Department of Education mandatory filter in five minutes using a free tool stored on a USB.
“I bypass the whole filter and have unrestricted access to the Internet. The same technologies can be used to bypass the government’s proposed filter as well”, the anonymous student said.
Parental responsibility
Earlier in the week Senator Conroy said that the government had never claimed the filter itself would stop child pornography that is commonly spread using peer to peer networks.
"We've never tried to pretend that this was a silver bullet, we've never tried to suggest this was the sole solution," Senator Conroy told reporters in Sydney on Monday.
Australians concerned that the proposed filters will unfairly limit their internet access are urging parents to take greater responsibility with supervising internet use, pointing out free and commercial products already on the market.
Some have called for the filter to be non-mandatory, allowing those concerned about offensive internet content to ‘opt-in’ at will.
Fears for the economy
There are also concerns that the proposed filter may not work and be a waste of essential government revenue as a recession looms. With the relative speed of Australia’s internet access there are fears that the filter may slow access.
“In times of financial crisis the last thing we should be doing is wantonly throwing money at a solution that simply cannot possibly work”, said Jason Royals.
Some support
However there was some support for Senator Conroy’s proposal, most of who see the filter as a means to protect children online and are keen to support a trial of the filter. Source: http://www.sbs.com.au |
