-----Original Message----- From: felipe rodriquez <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Members@Efa. Org. Au <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Wednesday, 31 March 1999 10:54 AM Subject: [EFA] ACTION ALERT - Australian Internet Censorship > > >Please help distribute and send this to your contacts: > > >---<start of message>--- > >From: Electronic Frontiers Australia (http://www.efa.org.au) >Subject: ACTION ALERT - Australian Internet Censorship > > >*** Please redistribute, but only before April 30th 1999 *** >*** and only to appropriate newsgroups, lists and contacts *** > > >INTERNATIONAL ACTION ALERT > > >Please send the message attached below the -<cut here>- mark >at the bottom of this message to your local member, and to these >emailaddresses: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >and fax numbers: +61 2 6273 4154 > +61 3 9650 0220 > +61 2 6277 8520 > +61 2 6273 4100 > +61 2 6277 8495 > +61 2 9334 7799 > +61 2 6273 4128 > +61 2 6273 4122 > +61 2 6273 4117 > >From: Electronic Frontiers Australia > http://www.efa.org.au > > > > > Sydney 31st March 1999 > > >AUSTRALIA NEEDS YOUR HELP TO FIGHT DRACONIAN INTERNET CENSORSHIP > > >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 >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Fax: +61 (0)2 6273 4154 AND +61 (0)3 9650 0220 > >Stephen Smith, labor Shadow Minister for communications, IT and the Arts >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Fax: +61 (0)2 6277 8520 > >Timothy Fischer, Deputy Prime Minister; Minister for Trade >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Fax: +61 (02) 6273 4128 > >Jocelyn Newman, Minister for Family and Community Services >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Fax: +61 (02) 6273 4122 > >Dr David Kemp, Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Fax: +61 (02)6273 4117 > >John Howard, Prime Minister >Fax: +61 (0)2 6273 4100 > >Kim Beazley, leader of the opposition >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Fax: +61 (0)2 6277 8495 > >David Flint, Chairman of the ABA >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Fax: +61 (0)2 9334 7799 > > > > > >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- >PLEASE FAX AND/OR EMAIL THE MESSAGE BELOW TO THE PERSONS MENTIONED ABOVE >----------------------<cut here>------------------------------------------ > >to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >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. > > > > ><message ends here> > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- This is the Neither public email list, open for the public and general discussion. To unsubscribe click here Mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Subject=unsubscribe To subscribe click here Mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Subject=subscribe For information on [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.neither.org/lists/public-list.htm For archives http://www.mail-archive.com/public-list@neither.org
