Public eyes censorship plans Karen Dearne MARCH 13, 2002 NSW plans to censor the internet have been under scrutiny during two days of public hearings in Sydney. The Standing Committee on Social Issues is inquiring into whether the Classification Enforcement Amendment Bill provides an effective and enforceable way to regulate online material. But a number of industry and consumer groups warned that the proposed legislation discriminates against material published online and was unworkable. Australian Computer Society vice-president Phillip Argy said the NSW legislation went much further than the federal model legislation. "This criminally prohibits the making available of matter that would be classified as objectionable or unsuitable for minors, basically without exception," Mr Argy said. "It's like saying, you cannot make this material available to adults in NSW in case children get to see it." Electronic Frontiers Australia executive director Irene Graham said the Bill tried to force internet content into a regime designed for the commercial sale and distribution of movies, videos and games. "The internet is not a movie, it is not a computer game and it is nothing like television," she said. "It is just not going to work." The legislation treated people using the internet "quite differently, less fairly and less justly under criminal law" than that applicable to speech and distribution of information offline. "There is a vast amount of material that this Bill can catch," she said. "This is going to cover actual discussions in chatrooms and on email lists. "We are especially concerned about what is, in effect, a complete ban on information that would be classified as 'R' rating." Office of Film and Literature Classification director Des Clark said he was unaware of any censorship board anywhere having regulated the internet. He agreed that such legislation would be "ground-breaking". Computer games were not widely regulated worldwide, he said, "but they are in Australia". Arts Law Centre of Australia legal officer Elizabeth Beal was concerned that an "authorised officer" could deem content offensive and issue a penalty notice, given the complexity and subjective nature of censorship matters. "Although a defendant issued with one of these notices can elect to go to court, that involves considerable inconvenience and cost to obtain advice, not to mention fear and humiliation," she said. Internet Industry Association chief executive Peter Coroneos said the IIA was "totally committed" to helping families manage internet content so that children were not exposed to inappropriate material. "But in the case of pornography, where so much of the material is created and posted by people outside Australia, passing legislation will do nothing more than show the community you are concerned about the issue," he said. The hearings took place last week. The committee is due to report to the NSW Parliament by June 7. FROM http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,3942637%5E15319%5E%5Enbv%5E15306,00.html Kill them all and let satan sort them out.
