Computer World and PC World (both part of IDG) have published part one of a series of articles looking at mandatory filtering in Australia. The first, Why Content Filtering Will Fail, highlights a number of concerns that all of us have, especially ISPs.
A director of a small Sydney-based ISP, who requested anonymity, said the move is “grossly political” and accused the government of creating “another Harradine” in the Senate.
“Labor needs Fielding’s support to pass legislation if it’s opposed by the [Coalition],” he said.
“It’s bloody obvious who’s pulling the strings.”
He said government content filtering will financially ruin small ISPs.
I don’t think Fielding is pulling the strings though. Labor and Conroy have supported this policy for a couple of years now. Before input from Fielding. It’s been their ‘One-Up’ on Howard policy since Big Kim last ran the show.
Meanwhile, Director of an Albury-based ISP Ross Wheeler said:
…the plan will hit the wallets of ISPs and cosumers.
We aren’t talking about small holes a brilliant teenage hacker will get through; we are talking about holes that you could haul a B-Double truck through. – Director of an Albury-based ISP Ross Wheeler
A network administrator for a Queensland bank also stated that:
…the system could be bypassed by blending illegal and legitimate content, hosting content through open proxies outside Australia, or sending data through mail and DNS ports if open ports were closed.
“It’s unbelievable how easy it is to beat this system,” he said.
Comments from myself and Dale Clappterton can be read in the article.
Read it all here.
– Mike
