One question some of you might be asking is: How do I explain to my friends/co-workers/partner/dog why we shouldn’t introduce mandatory ISP filtering in Australia?

Louise Schaper wrote me with a great letter which includes a number of points you can mention (content written in orange is where I have added additional information):

  1. It won’t work: Firstly, it won’t be technically possible to be able to block all websites containing pornographic content. By telling parents it’s ‘safe’ to allow their children use the Net unsupervised is incorrect as they will still be able to purposefully or accidently view pornographic content. Parents need to be informed and not lulled into a false sence of security. Related to this is that this will also be a huge waste of taxpayer money.
  2. It may block health, sex and drug information sites: Secondly, websites containing sex education, health information, drug education information and others may also be blocked (even sites such as YouTube could end up being blocked if the filter finds material deemed pornographic on the site. Content that may require an ‘adult perspective’ could also be prohibited under ACMA guidelines.).
  3. An affront to civil liberties: Thirdly, the Government is telling ALL Australians (including all of us aged over the age of 18) that we should not be viewing pornographic material. It will be removing our choice as adults and blocking access to sites they deem inappropriate. Not only does this have huge ramifications for civil liberties, but also would be problematic for those who need access to this material for their work and research.Slow your broadband connection speed: Finally, the filtering process is likely to slow Internet connection speeds (as the filter has to run before it can deliver the results of a search or loading a web page).
  4. Slow your broadband connection speed: The filtering process is likely to slow Internet connection speeds (as the filter has to run before it can deliver the results of a search or loading a web page).

In addition to Louise’s points, I’d just like to add a few of my own that I think are important.

  1. Small ISPs risk going out of business: A report commissioned by the Howard Government found that enforcing ISPs to filter their service had the potential to force smaller operators out of business. This means less choice for the consumer and people out of work.
  2. The cost of your Internet bill will increase: The same report also found that ISPs will need to pass on the costs involved with filtering to the customer. Why pay extra when mandatory filtering doesn’t even do what the Government claims.

If you’d like to see Louise’s letter in full and send it to someone you know who is still sitting on the fence, please read on. My two points above are also included…

Click here to read more.

Dear …

This has received little press, but this is an issue you will want to know about as it will affect all of us….

As you have probably heard – Senator Stephen Conroy (Federal Broadband Minister) is mandating that all Internet Service Providers (ISPs: the companies that provide us the Internet eg Telstra, Optus, iinet etc) block access to websites containing pornographic content or other “inappropriate material”. They are aiming to have this in place by the end of January 2008 (that’s right – just a matter of weeks away!).

The government states that the aim behind this drastic action is to protect children from pornographic content and to stop access to child pornography etc. However, child pornograhy is already illegal and websites that feature such images are already blocked.

This is problematic for six main reasons:

1) It won’t work: Firstly, it won’t be technically possible to be able to block all websites containing pornographic content. By telling parents it’s ‘safe’ to allow their children use the Net unsupervised is incorrect as they will still be able to purposefully or accidently view pornographic content. Parents need to be informed and not lulled into a false sence of security.

– related to this is that this will also be a huge waste of taxpayer money.

2) It may block health, sex and drug information sites: Secondly, websites containing sex education, health information, drug education information and others may also be blocked (even sites such as YouTube could end up being blocked if the filter finds material deemed pornographic on the site. Content that may require an ‘adult perspective’ could also be prohibited under ACMA guidelines.)

3) An affront to civil liberties: Thirdly, the Government is telling ALL Australians (including all of us aged over the age of 18) that we should not be viewing pornographic material. It will be removing our choice as adults and blocking access to sites they deem inappropriate. Not only does this have huge ramifications for civil liberties, but also would be problematic for those who need access to this material for their work and research (as I imagine many WASS members would).

4) Slow your broadband connection speed: The filtering process is likely to slow Internet connection speeds (as the filter has to run before it can deliver the results of a search or loading a web page).

5) Small ISPs risk going out of business: A report commissioned by the Howard Government found that enforcing ISPs to filter their service had the potential to force smaller operators out of business. This means less choice for the consumer and people out of work.

6) The cost of your Internet bill will increase: The same report also found that ISPs will need to pass on the costs involved with filtering to the customer. Why pay extra when mandatory filtering doesn’t even do what the Government claims.

To find out more:

Sign the online petition – which will be presented to Senator Conroy – http://petitions.takingitglobal.org/oznetcensorship

Further information:

– Satirical website on the Government’s changes as well as links to sites with further information – http://www.netalarmed.com/

– Government’s Internet Censorship Policy – http://www.senatorconroy.com/meida108.html

What will be banned under the new filter – the Govt hasn?t worked this out yet but they are likely to follow ACMA guidelines. One of these is “material that deals with issues or contains depictions which require an adult perspective” this could include health, sex and drug information – http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=INT_IND_CONTENT_ABOUT

– Article from today’s Australian – http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23001130-15306,00.html