INTRODUCTION
The Australian ministry for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts has announced a proposal to introduce draconian measures to block information on the internet that is rated RC, X or R according to Australian film and video classification standards. The Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) will administer this regime.
The Australian Government requires that online service providers take responsibility to remove RC and X-rated material from the Internet once they have been notified of its existence. The regime also provides for self-regulatory codes of practice for the online service provider industry, to be overseen by the ABA. These codes of practice must include a commitment by an online service provider to take all reasonable steps to block access to such content hosted overseas, once the service provider has been notified of the existence of the material by the ABA. Many millions of websites are likely to be blocked if the proposals are effectively implemented.
RC rated content, to be completely censored from the Internet under this regime, includes, but is not limited to, the following types of content: Information that depicts, expresses or otherwise deals with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults, depicts it in a way that is likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult. Or if the content promotes, incites or instructs in matters of crime or violence, the use of proscribed drugs, depictions of practices such as bestiality. Or if it appears to purposefully debase or abuse for the enjoyment of viewers, and which lack moral, artistic or other values, to the extent that they offend against generally accepted standards of morality, decency and propriety. And also includes gratuitous, exploitative or offensive depictions of violence with a very high degree of impact or which are excessively frequent, prolonged or detailed, cruelty or real violence which are very detailed or which have a high impact, sexual violence, sexual activity accompanied by fetishes or practices which are offensive or abhorrent, incest fantasies or other fantasies which are offensive or abhorrent.
X-rated content, to be completely censored from the Internet under this regime, is material which contains real depictions of actual sexual intercourse and other sexual activity between consenting adults, including mild fetishes.
R-rated content, to be subjected to a mandatory adult verification scheme, includes information about, or containing, drug use, nudity, sexual references, adult themes, horror themes, martial arts instruction, graphic images of injuries, medium or high level coarse language, sex education, health education and drug education.
WE NEED YOUR HELP !
If you care about your ability to speak on the Internet, read from the Internet, and exchange ideas on the Internet, without the Australian government deciding for you, it's time to act before these proposals become law.
Please take some time to speak out against this government action, by signing and then E-mailing or faxing the attached letter the minister for communications, and other relevant people. For your convenience we have added some addresses:
Richard Alston, Minister for communications, IT and the Arts
richard.alston@dcita.gov.au
Fax: +61 (0)2 6273 4154 AND +61 (0)3 9650 0220
Stephen Smith, labor Shadow Minister for communications, IT and the Arts
Stephen.Smith.MP@aph.gov.au
Fax: +61 (0)2 6277 8520
Timothy Fischer, Deputy Prime Minister; Minister for Trade
Tim.Fischer.MP@aph.gov.au
Fax: +61 (02) 6273 4128
Jocelyn Newman, Minister for Family and Community Services
senator.newman@aph.gov.au
Fax: +61 (02) 6273 4122
Dr David Kemp, Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs
D.Kemp.MP@aph.gov.au
Fax: +61 (02)6273 4117
John Howard, Prime Minister
Fax: +61 (0)2 6273 4100
Kim Beazley, leader of the opposition
Kim.Beazley.MP@aph.gov.au
Fax: +61 (0)2 6277 8495
David Flint, Chairman of the ABA
to: richard.alston@dcita.gov.au
Dear Senator Alston,
I consider that the following issues are important with respect to the Internet
censorship proposals of the Australian government:
The filtering and blocking regime that has been announced by the Australian
government will restrict freedom of expression and limit access to information.
Government-mandated use of blocking and filtering systems violates basic
international human rights protections.
These measures will prevent individuals from using the Internet to exchange
information on topics that may be controversial or unpopular. They may enable
the development of country profiles to facilitate a global/universal rating
system desired by governments, block access to content on entire domains,
block access to Internet content available at any domain or page which contains
a specific key-word or character string in the URL, and over-ride self-rating
labels provided by content creators and providers.
Government mandated blocking and filtering of content is unreasonable because
it does not consider the dynamic nature of the Internet. A website on the
Internet that is deemed offensive or illegal today may contain harmless content
tomorrow, but is likely to remain blocked in the future by the proposed blacklist
model.
The effectiveness of the proposed regime will be minimal. It is unlikely
that the government blacklist will cover a substantial percentage of adult
or offensive content, as there are millions of such locations on the Internet.
Tunneling and other technologies that are available make it relatively easy
for informed users to access any website they wish despite the existence
of a filter.
The proposals will not protect minors on the Internet, as they intend to,
but will prevent lawful access to information by adults. Additionally the
introduction of mandatory adult verification mechanisms poses a threat to
privacy of the adult, as these mechanisms are likely to store information
about the behavior of adults on the Internet.
I believe the great appeal of the Internet is its openness. Efforts to restrict
the free flow of information on the Internet, like efforts to restrict what
may be said on a telephone, would place unreasonable burdens on well established
principles of privacy and free speech.
I encourage the Australian government to further take the lead in creating
an environment that will help local communities find the best answers to
providing greater access to the Internet. I observe that blocking and filtering
software programs cannot possibly filter out all objectionable material and
instead may provide communities with a false sense of security about providing
access. I believe that filters cannot offer the protections provided by education
and training. If protection of minors is the intention of the Australian
government then minors should be taught the critical skills that are needed
as citizens of the information society.
david.flint@aba.gov.au
Fax: +61 (0)2 9334 7799
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PLEASE FAX AND/OR EMAIL THE MESSAGE BELOW TO THE PERSONS MENTIONED ABOVE
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Stephen.Smith.MP@aph.gov.au
Tim.Fischer.MP@aph.gov.au
Kim.Beazley.MP@aph.gov.au
D.Kemp.MP@aph.gov.au
david.flint@aba.gov.au
senator.newman@aph.gov.au