Score one for freedom of speech today as an attempt by the Australian government to require mandatory internet censorship appears to be headed to the scrap heap after two political parties formed a coalition opposing government censorship. The Greens and Opposition gained enough support to block possible legislation which would require ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to filter any content deemed inappropriate by the government. The plan is not completely dead however, as it still could be put into action via a “crossing of the floor” by Australian parliamentary Senators or by bypassing legislation altogether (this would be unlikely).
The plan, championed by Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, was originally proposed to disable Australian citizens from gaining access to child pornography websites but is quickly expanding to filter more and more content. The “black list”, created by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, would block sites that contained content “that offend against the standards of morality” which includes (but is not limited to) drug use, crime, sex, cruelty, and violence. It currently contains 1,370 sites, but the government has said it will consider expanding the list to 10,000 or more.
Among the many flaws, the plan would potentially be able to block Australian citizens access to user-generated sites such as YouTube or Wikipedia. The censorship would also not extend to peer-to-peer programs such as LimeWire or BitTorrent. Users of these programs would still be able to share inappropriate material over the internet.
Australia would be heading down a slippery slope if it went through with this legislation. It can be dangerous for a nation to allow its government to determine what is appropriate for its citizens, especially without great oversight. According to a lobby group for online users, Electronic Frontiers Australia, the censorship would put Australia on par with oppressive regimes such as Iran and China. The plan was proposed with good intentions but it is easy to see how such power, without proper oversight, could put Australia on the path towards an Orwellian society.
An Independent Senator for South Australia Nick Xenophon says “a blanket mandatory censorship…could be counter-productive” and has called for increased funding to educate parents about online safety and how to effectively monitor their kids instead of censoring ISPs. In addition to education, Xenophon also wants to see the authorities more closely monitor peer-to-peer sites to catch pedophiles using these mediums to traffic child pornography. There are indeed better ways to protect children from inappropriate material than to impose the will of the government on the people.
In the end it seems Australian’s can breath easy for now. The plan is unlikely to be put into practice (although trials are being conducted) on a large scale anytime soon, but Australia has an apparent history when it comes to censoring internet freedoms. A debate arose in 1999 about internet content and just a decade later the debate continues on. Kudos to the Australians and (some) of their political leaders for opposing government infringement on such rights as crucial as the freedom of speech.
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