ACMA Blacklist leaked, contains legal websites
March 19, 2009 – 11:17 amWhat is claimed to be a copy of the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA) secret blacklist of prohibited websites has been leaked on the whistle-blower website WikiLeaks.
I can confirm the list includes a range of legal websites, including that of a political group supporting euthanasia and a popular Australian owned adult website to name only two.
The list is currently only distributed to approved filter vendors, but if mandatory ISP level filtering is introduced as planned this would be the list of websites that all Australian’s would be restricted from viewing. In other words, the blacklist which cannot be opt out of.
ACMA’s annual reports and Senator Stephen Conroy’s answers to questions from Senator Scott Ludlam already confirmed that only around half of the sites on the list included content relating to child abuse material. This is the first time we’ve been able to identify the remaining legal content.
Electronic Frontiers Australia notes that a site containing poison information is present on the list, as well as many other harmless sites such as that of a tour operator.
EFA’s Vice-Chair Colin Jacobs says ‘Now that we have seen the list, it is clearly not the perfect weapon against child-abuse it has been made out to be.’
‘Many of the sites clearly contain only run-of-the-mill adult material, poker tips, or nothing controversial at all. Even if some of these sites may have been defaced at the time they were added to the list, how would the operators get their sites removed if the list is secret and no appeal is possible?’
However, Senator Stephen Conroy told SMH the leak and publication of the ACMA blacklist would be ‘grossly irresponsible’ and undermine efforts to improve cyber safety. Asher Moses at SMH writes:
He said ACMA was investigating the matter and considering a range of possible actions including referral to the Australian Federal Police. Australians involved in making the content available would be at “serious risk of criminal prosecution”.
Moses also notes:
The leaked list, understood to have been obtained from an internet filtering software maker, contains 2395 sites. ACMA said its blacklist, as at November last year, contained 1370 sites.
Assange [of WikiLeaks] said the disparity in the reported figure is most likely due to the fact that the list contains several duplicates and variations of the same URL that stem from a single complaint. Alternatively, some sites may have been added to the list by the filter software maker.
Latest related STotC coverage:
- Legal adult websites blacklisted: AbbyWinters and The Hun banned
- Amateur adult site xTube.com makes Aussie ban list
- Poker, betting websites hit by Australian blacklist
- Conroy says it’s not the ACMA blacklist
35 Responses to “ACMA Blacklist leaked, contains legal websites”
I would normally say: “what are they going to do next?”, but I can’t see how they could top this. It is at the same time too funny and too stupid for words.
By Sam D on Mar 19, 2009
and what a coincidence, wikileaks is added to the list (albeit as another test of the system), and a few days later the list itself is leaked.
hell, there is one legit porn video site on the list that even has the age confirmation page at the front.
By alphamone on Mar 19, 2009
I expected the blacklist to be leaked at some point, but not BEFORE the start of the trials!
What an embarassing day this is for ACMA, Conroy and the government.
By Eddie on Mar 19, 2009
also, there is one site there (although it is most likely cause of its lack of a warning) that is a quite well known shock site that is probably as FAR from child porn as you can get. (that is, it involves people well into their 60s at least.)
By alphamone on Mar 19, 2009
Well, it is to be expected that legitimate legal sites are on that list. We already knew that there would be. But the controversy this will generate will hopefully enlighten the public to this fact.
What a wonderful day this is!
By Heath on Mar 19, 2009
Holy shit. abbywinters.com is blocked? That site is completely legal and only contains softcore pornography.
By James on Mar 19, 2009
Having looked (are the AFP tracking me now?), there’s actually a whole bunch of perfectly legal X-rated adult sites there, including Whale Tale – a site featuring women showing the tops of their g-strings. Ooh, risque. And of course, LibChrist.com, the site for Christian swingers. There’s even a link to Maroochy Boarding Kennels.
Obviously the vast majority of links ARE illegal sites and obviously you don’t want to be clicking on anything… but as I looked through it I was wondering how many of those sites have since been shut down. Has the list been given to the authorities in order for them to do their job?
The other thing is this – how can it be illegal to merely view a list of links? It becomes a matter or morality. I looked at those URLs and CHOSE not to click on them. Personal responsibility. That’s what this whole thing comes down to in the end.
By Ms Naughty on Mar 19, 2009
Not only is there a link in the list to the “data” folder of “Maroochy Boarding Kennels” in the same update (FEB 20 – 2008) thee is a link to “Tuckshop and Canteen Management Consultants” data directory too.. that are BOTH located on Australian Servers.
There is also a link to “StartCorp” [JUNE 01 -2007] which is an Austalian Web Hosting and Design Company that are still trading, and again on an .au domain.
More interestingly though is an Entry on 6th may 2008 that fully bans the international BETFAIR site. Though the Australian Betfair site at betfair.com.au is ok? Funny that its owned 50% by Crown Limited and allowed whereas the one in England that won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise (International Trade) in April 2008 is Not allowed to be linked too.. Wonder who submitted that link to ACMA to stop competition.. hmmmm..
By G Thompson on Mar 19, 2009
Is there anything to be concerned about the EFA page (and indeed, site) returning a Error establishing a database connection page, or is this just a temporary and otherwise unremarkable glich? I recieved their post via rss but can’t visit the site.
By Stephen Moore on Mar 19, 2009
Fulltiltpoker.com banned? WTF…
Im a member of APL (Australian Poker League)
They use fulltilt poker for thier tournaments and point keeping stuff…
How can they ban online poker that needs a credit card to put money on it..
This is stupid.
By Matt on Mar 19, 2009
Stephen, EFA’s website is currently suffering the slashdot affect. A little patience is the most appropriate thing at the moment.
By Bastard Sheep on Mar 19, 2009
Look at line 803. The entry there is “biz”. An entry like that would block EVERY website with a .biz TLD!
By Bastard Sheep on Mar 19, 2009
@Bastard Sheep
Interesting. Especially since a TLD is NOT classified as a link under the act. Blocking a whole TLD is not allowed and is a breach of their own code of practice and mandate.
Most likely it is probably something the filter vendor has placed in it. Though who knows, the carmage is done no matter what.
I can see ACMA now placing a ban on all links to wikileaks and on all links to sites that link to wikileaks … ad infinitum.
I for one will not comply with anything ACMA pass down anymore and am willing to personally challenge any penalty in federal court. Though i suspect they would not like to make myself the first case.
By G Thompson on Mar 19, 2009
Considering how many people have linked it, I wonder what action they’ll take. It won’t surprise me at all if someone is prosecuted over this. The Government is already behaving in a draconian and reactionary manner. Vive la resistance (or however you say it)!
By Ilaeria on Mar 19, 2009
Unlike Senator Conroy, I would like to commend the individual or individuals who leaked the list.
By this single act they have done more for ensuring child safety on the internet than Senator Conroy ever could. False security is worse than no security, and by demonstrating the deeply flawed nature of the ACMA censorship list they have put one more nail in the coffin of the Cleanfeed censorship plan.
As has been amply demonstrated by this leak the many of the listed sites are entirely legal, and have clearly been blocked solely on political or puritanical grounds. Senator Conroy’s appeals for faith in the Government to self police the list are disingenuous to say the least. Senator Conroy would have been well aware of the content of the list when he made that appeal.
Senator Conroy is a disgrace, and ACMA is a disgrace for abusing their regulatory role. They should both be deeply ashamed for their actions.
By Stuart on Mar 19, 2009
Perhaps now someone can answer this question. Senator Conroy has always referred to the content as “child abuse material”, never child porn. How many of the entries on the list (and still available on the net) are actually child porn? Is there a breakdown of the contents (and the host countries) somewhere?
By C on Mar 19, 2009
As of 4.23 PM Google Chrome is telling me “Oops! This link appears broken.” when trying to access http://www.wikileaks.org
Coincidence?
What’s going on now I wonder?
By Daniel on Mar 19, 2009
Same here Daniel. Very interesting. Lucky I have the page saved anyway.
By Ilaeria on Mar 19, 2009
This has got to be the best news that I had all day. Now ACMA and the government has gone into “damage control, finding out the appropriate course of action.
Since WikiLeaks is hosted outside Australia, ACMA will have to blacklist the page that displays the banned web pages. “Blacklisting the blacklist” is what I like to call this.
Of course, blacklisting this would not stop people so tech-savvy that they will access the blacklist by use of Tor or VPNs.
By Glenn on Mar 19, 2009
Thanks for the explanation, Bastard Sheep. I was hoping it was just a temporary technical glich. I can view the efa site now.
By Stephen Moore on Mar 19, 2009
about ED (shortened form of that satirical encyclopedia, done like this to avoid trouble), I have to say that it quite often is at the borderline of legal (due to the fact that people use it for online harassment of people, and the spamming of websites with useless topics), and I can understand why it would be on a list.
(though, there should realy not be a list in the first place, and there are plenty of other places where the 4chan /b/ type of trolls organise their harassment of people and websites)
By alphamone on Mar 20, 2009
I think this going to go to far and everybody should think about this, can we get the Australian Government Website blocked
1) site has links to terrorism
2) it also makes this country a terrorist target by giving out information on this country
3) it has previously been hacked to the point of offering porn
4) the website breaks the privacy act
This list can go on and on but I thought I would only give a few points
By Mavrick on Mar 20, 2009
Holy shit – there’s HEAPS of legit porn sites on that list, unless my view of legit is very skewed indeed. bigtitsatwork.com? It’s what it says it is and mostly has milf-type action at that. But I can’t understand why anyone’s in the least bit surprised at all the condradictions and bungling. They want it in to use as a political tool and kiddie porn is the best cover they’ve got. Everyone with a brain’s onto the fact it’s bunkum so what do they care? They’ll keep mouthing it and playing rhetorical games and ignoring protests and busting a few token porn lords until it’s in. They don’t care if we know it’s a charade or not and you can bet your biscuits any subsequent governments won’t be removing the filter. It’s all part of the two-party, single-ideology world we live in.
By Well... on Mar 21, 2009
David Shankbone one of the worse things on the internet, and he should be censored and arrested. He worked with the Jewish ppornograher Michael Lucas to put fotos on all of the pornography articles on Wikipedia. It is a big mystery why these were deleted, but there are rumors that Jimmy Wales and Wikiedia were being investigated by the FBI – this article was about Shankbone’s fotos:
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=63590
Now they are hiding something. Shankbone is now here in Israel – as a guest of the government to take pictures!!!
http://blog.shankbone.org/2009/03/04/my-israel-trip-covered-in-jewish-week/
By Yehud on Mar 25, 2009
someone up a bit mentioned it was illegal to look at just the links (i did click thru to one), is that true? I bookmarked that wikileaks page with all the links coz i bookmark just about everything.
and abbywinters is not blocked.
By tezza on Mar 26, 2009
What is wrong with you people.
Stop banning poker websites you idiots
By Ashley on May 5, 2009
I think this is a disgrace. i understand the principal of this process, but I make responsible choices, i do what is right for myself. i guess this government believes it can dictate to society what it believes to be appropriate (until the next election). BRING BACK DEMOCRACY!!!
By David on Jul 21, 2009