Take a Stand Against Australian Censorship!
By Sam PascuaDon’t Allow the Australian Government to Limit Internet Usage
The Australian government recently announced plans to introduce Internet filters that will block access to various websites throughout our country. Which websites? Those that our government has deemed illegal, however arbitrary that designation may be. Such action is a blatant and unacceptable attempt to control the content that we Australians are able to view online legally.
All of us at Design Industries strongly oppose this censorship. We believe that each individual should have full freedom to browse the Internet and, in doing so, express free speech and encourage others to do so. We believe our fellow Australian citizens possess the integrity and personal responsibility to manage and control their own Internet usage and to monitor the Internet usage of their children – without government involvement or handholding.
The Australian government has promised that the proposed Internet filters will block only those sites deemed illegal, such as child pornography sites. In principle, this may be a defendable position. Yet the government has introduced such vague definitions that nearly any site could fall within the government’s viewing restrictions. A leaked list of proposed sites for banning included both straight and gay porn sites, gambling sites, euthanasia sites, various YouTube videos, and religious sites, among many others.
Fellow opponents of the proposed government policy claim that this move mimics the actions of the Communist Chinese government, which has already put such filters in place. In that country, only those citizens who have been approved by authorities are permitted to post information to the web, and heavy filters are used to monitor websites and access to those websites. Opponents of the censorship in China and the proposed censorship in Australia believe that the proposed filters will not necessarily protect children from inappropriate material, nor will they prevent criminals from accessing and distributing materials related to the sexual abuse of children, despite the government’s claims.
Google has also sided in favour of freedom of expression and does not anticipate voluntary compliance with the broad scope of restrictions proposed by the Australian government. Such broad rules would be difficult if not impossible to enforce, especially on YouTube, which already forbids videos that portray sex, drug use, and violence. Although Google has complied with censorship laws in China and Thailand in the past, the company recently threatened to pull out of China because of continuing requests for further censorship. In its defence, Google has stated that the topics covered in videos on YouTube express freedom of speech, are related to important topics, and are potentially vital for democracy.
The anti-Scientology group Anonymous recently demonstrated to protest the proposed Australian filters. The organisation attacked and shut down the main websites of the government and parliament. The group is currently planning an upcoming street protest known as Project Freeweb.
Here at Design Industries, we stand for freedom. We are against tyranny and we believe that the Internet is and should be a neutral environment that allows for the universal expression of free speech. Introducing Internet filters and monitoring Internet usage will limit that freedom, infringing upon the civil rights of all Australians. Censorship by the Australian government is the precursor to a greater push for control of the Internet by corporations. The proposed actions must be nipped in the bud before they have an opportunity to take root.
We encourage our employees, clients, vendors, and other supporters to join us in taking a stand in this important cause. Become involved in the fight to maintain our freedom of expression via the Internet.
We do not support hacking and shutting down government sites. However, we do encourage like-minded supporters to contact members of parliament and support Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA), which is a non-profit organisation committed to maintaining and protecting our online freedoms. EFA has launched a new website to serve as a campaign hub for those fighting against the government’s mandatory Internet filtering policy. You can find it at www.openInternet.com.au. EFA has also launched a Facebook fan page for users to show their support for the cause. Please get involved in this battle to maintain our freedom and encourage others to do so as well. Our collective freedom of expression and the future of Australian democracy depend on it.
4 Comments
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.