Internet Censorship: Is this YOUR next step??

B

Bruce from West Oz

New member
According to the radio just now, it looks like we get the Internet
censorship our politicians have been seeking, using a 'filter' on all requests.

What will the "censorship" be like? Have a look at this. I picked it up from
an anonymous source. It's _supposed_ to be a sample of the results of a
search with the beta version of the filter in place. I can not vouch for its
authenticity, obviously, and would not normally post it -- but it might be
worth discussing??

Please note: This is dinkum; it is not April Fool's Day!!!!!!


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Search term(s) Result

"Sexual discrimination" - Found 298485 Web pages with the term
discrimination

"Rape" - Your search returned no results. Please try again with a different
search term

"Rape crisis" - Found 601947 Web pages with the term crisis

"Guns" - Your search returned no results. Please try again with a different
search term

"Suicide" - Your search returned no results. Please try again with a
different search term

"Suicide prevention" - Found 703063 Web pages with the term prevention

"Smith & Wesson" - Your search returned no results. Please try again with a
different search term

"Repeater[sic] rifle" - Found 43133 Web pages with the term repeater

"Manson" - Your search returned no results. Please try again with a
different search term

"Chat" - Found 3603235 Web pages with the term chat (Believed to be
censored, since AltaVista comes up with some 22 000 000 references to
"chat")


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OK, you figure it out. Without free access to the Net, where does TFL stand?? Nowhere!!! We go back to fragmented, unsupported individuals and groups with NO power at all.

This may not apply to America, but hey!! ... don't count on it. If it's achieved here, I bet your government will look really closely at it.

Bruce
 
I'm not sure what to think about this yet. Is it the search engine that's censoring or filtering, or is it in the web or ISP connection itself? Would it work to specifically type in www.thefiringline.com and find your way here, or would keywords in the site formatting or html text trigger a 404 from the filter? I think I'm not understanding if this is a national-ISP wide filter (like a huge Net Nanny?) that's being proposed, or what. I'd appreciate more details as they become available. The implications are completely insidious.

------------------
Don LeHue

The pen is mightier than the sword...outside of arms reach. Modify radius accordingly for rifle.
 
If true and if implemented, that is totally absurd. How can one research anything remotely controversial with such a filter in place? "Hmmmm, you say your doctoral dissertation relates to the causes and effects of rapes in society? Let's see...just type in your query here, and hit enter, and.....ooops, no, it appears there is no such thing as rape, or perhaps no one has ever been raped. Pick another topic." Ridiculous. Your aussie pols are even nuttier than ours. No, I take that back - ours are just as nutty, we just have stronger constitutional language/courts to strike down the idiocy more often.
 
Ok guys, I'm no computer guru, but this is how we understand it will work:

1. Internal (Australian) websites:
Anyone who finds a site that "offends" them will report it to the appropriate Govt body. The ISP will be told to take the site down until it is given a rating (similar to films). Waiting time for a rating is expected to be measured in months, and your site will be down all that time.

X-rated: Is totally banned
R-rated: Will require something like Adult Check to access
Other than G-rating will require specifically worded Warnings at the front end of the site.

A database of banned URLs will be established, both internal and external -- you won't be able to log in to them.

2. External:
The database PLUS the filter software. Where this is actually held, I don't know, but from what I've heard it appears the ISPs will have to install it on their computers. The loss of speed (never the best here) will drive even "legitimate" users insane.

We (the general public), don't know much more than this. Parliament is expected to vote today.

My home ISP makes these points on its homepage:

Whilst many agree with the intent of the bill, the Internet industry is dismayed at the way the bill proposes to address the problem. In essence, users will be able to complain to the government about content on the Internet. The government will then review it and if it is deemed inappropriate they will force the ISPs to remove it within 24 hours.

However, in implementing this scheme, there are many loopholes and requirements that make it unworkable and potentially devastating on the growth of the Net in Australia.

There are many issues, which are detailed in depth at the web pages at the end of this article, but just a few include:

* Stiff penalties if ISP miss content.
With the sheer volume of content on the Internet, and the myriad of ways it can be transmitted, missing content is practically guaranteed that will open the ISPs to liability.

* It affects all technologies, including Mail, News and Chat.
The legislation is not specifically for the web. Even your mailbox, news articles, downloadable files and chat channels are covered by the legislation. Many of these we have no technical way to block in accordance with the law, nor would we want to act as censors of private material such as your mailbox.

* It is more restrictive than laws covering books and videos.
Many also argue that X rated material, which will now be banned on the Internet, is legal via other means and therefore the Internet will become more restricted than videos or magazines.

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I hadn't realised until just now that the laws cover e-mail and news articles as well!!

Guess if it comes into full effect, you may not be hearing from me again!

Bruce
 
Bruce...write down e-mail addresses now and print them out.

If your politicos think they can beat free ingenuity they will lose. I so love challenges and screwing over Nazi's :)

Remember the Navajo talkers during WWII

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"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes"
 
Bruce: There are some 1024-bit encryptions available fairly inexpensively. From what I read, it would take several Crays several years to break a 1024-bit code. Further, there is an ISP here in the States which has an Email setup wherein they themselves don't know who's Emailing.

"Wired" news has info on this; check their archives. (They're commonly referenced on worldnetdaily.com)
 
Bruce: I posted a description of the proposed censorship at another Site, where I have read software/hardware discussions.

A response is that theree is a resemblance to the 1920s effort of the Tennessee Legislature to enact a law that pi = 3.00000...

That is, websites can be changed rapidly. Encryption creates its own problems. And, how many people will "snitch"? Sure, some will, but first they gotta find a site to tattle on.

Seems to me that any notable volume of snitching will quickly overload both ISP systems--from "games-playing"--and government offices intended to deal with this evil Internet.

Ah, yes, that ancient Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times!"

Looks like the Aussie gummint is treating the Net like they treated guns. Gee, wonder why the crime rate didn't go down...

Regards, Art
 
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