AUSSIE INTERNET THREAT (Update)

28 November 2008

Greens leader slams attempt to censor the Internet

 

Australia's federal government continued to take flak this week in the growing row over its attempts to muzzle the Internet (see previous InfoPowa reports) by selective ISP and enforcement actions against sites it deems unacceptable, which include online gambling.

ABC television carried an attack on the Rudd government's moves from Green Party leader Bob Brown on Tuesday, who said: "We're very, very concerned that there's going to be a unnecessary clamp down on the internet and it has to be watched."

The official Opposition's communications spokesman also joined the debate, announcing on the same day that the "misguided and deeply unpopular" filtering plan was causing Australia embarrassment internationally.

"The Opposition firmly believes that adult supervision, supported by optional user-end filters, effective law enforcement and education should be front and centre of any efforts to keep children safe online," Senator Nick Minchin said.

And action group GetUp's campaign director Ed Coper said he was certain his organisation's "Save the Net" campaign would be "really big and ongoing", having already amassed 22 000 peition signatures. He described the government's attack on the Internet as: "Certainly one of the most ill-thought-out decisions of the Rudd Government so far."