Soapbox

Is internet censorship ever ok?

Oct 29 11:01am

- Filtering of the internet, as planned by Senator Stephen Conroy, will be mandatory in all homes and schools across the country.

The clean feed will censor material that is "harmful and inappropriate" for children.

While many find this plan an unfortunate necessity, others are claiming the plan is heavy-handed and even a threat to democracy.

What do you think of the plan to censor certain elements of the internet?
Tell us below...

++ UPDATED 10.50am 29 October 2008

As nearly all the comments below are criticising the internet filtering plan, we are seeking more information on the plan and Senator Conroy's defence of the proposal.

Software filters which can be installed by on your own PC are available now at netalert.gov.au

A popular site rousing support to block the plan is at nocleanfeed.com

Senator Conroy plans a two-tier approach - the first tier forcing ISPs to filter 'illegal' content using a blacklist of URLs.
For those who opt-in to the second tier, but will also restrict adult material.

Read the experts' response to viewers' most common questions here.

Read the response of Senator Conroy's office here

89 Comments Report Abuse

1. macca0832 - Oct 29 08:17am

hi definiately not weresuppose to be a free country there lost my vote if they do wheres our freedom of choice and if you dont want that wed site click off

2. lioness41au - Oct 29 08:18am

I am against censorship, there are many products available to create our own personal protection and censorship on the internet It would be more viable to make these products cheaper, Govenment conrtolled censorship would cause unscrupulous government bodies to decide what is and isn't good for us.

3. wazjaymac - Oct 29 08:18am

I dont know if this will work. Everyone has their own oppinions so what one person thinks needs to be censored someone else might not and vise versa. So who decides what gets censored and what doesnt. Its just too big an issue to control and keep most people happy.

4. wazjaymac - Oct 29 08:22am

Why dont parents try a little harder to control it themselves instead of passing the buck to the government to deal with it? Its not that hard to keep the computer in the family room so you know what your children are looking at instead of letting them have the internet on in their room.

5. bradfrencham - Oct 29 08:26am

i dont have kids,so why should my service be censored!

6. scapeworld - Oct 29 08:34am

The challenge of Internet filtering (from http://tiny.pl/s17k ):
1. Cup your hands. That’s the filter.
2. Pour water into your cupped hands. That’s the internet.
3. Drop some blue dye into the water. That’s the naughty bits.
4. If any blue gets through your hands, you lose....

7. brendan32day@y7mail.com - Oct 29 08:39am

i am against internet service censorship too. it will make the net slower despite having broadband.. and will make it not worth using anymore it will become .a waste of time. adults should be able to visit sites.. however they please. sites will be blocked when they shouldn't be . down with this :-

8. kjpyro@rocketmail.com - Oct 29 08:46am

If you don't like a website, you do not have to go to that site.

Any censorship of the internet is very easy to get around, just ask Chinese users or corporate users how easy products like TOR are to use.

If we start, where will we stop?

9. brendan32day@y7mail.com - Oct 29 08:49am

screw this government. i figure libs would be the first to try this not labour.. my god they are worst than the libs i reckon.. i prefer they use the free one nominated by the libs back last year.. the one used on computers at PC level.. not some draconian -facsist system used in communist countries

10. nicegirl_66 - Oct 29 08:50am

No it is not ok. If you have young children do not expect the government to act as a nanny for you while your children are on the internet. As an adult you decide what you want to browse on the net and if you are breaking the law with what you are viewing then you suffer the consequences.

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