Obviously there’s a lot of debate outrage at the government’s decision to plough ahead with its plans to filter the internet. But there are some responses coming from both political parties and academics that are obligatory reading for anyone wanting to stay informed about the issue.
Bing is so good at finding porn and displaying it that Microsoft will serve all the adult-oriented content from a specific domain. That way, according to their blog, it will be a lot easier to filter:
No idea from which back corner of the web this internet meme has come from, but it worked for Watchmen, so it will almost definitely work for the proposed ISP internet filtering scheme that the Rudd government keeps pushing.
Thankfully many of the people down under have their heads the right way around – Australia’s proposed censorship regime has been toppled by mass political opposition, which blocked any legislation required to start the scheme.
AU: Um, this article isn’t actually correct. Although Senator Xenophon has announced he will be voting against the filter, and Labor really needs his vote to push it through, that doesn’t mean it’s dead. There are still plenty of ways that the Government could push this through, so put that champagne away and keep fighting for your online freedoms.
If you want more details on why this isn’t over yet, hit the EFA website.
By now you’re probably aware that the Rudd Government are planning on filtering the internet for every Australian. And I’m sure that you are aware just how bad an idea it is. If you’re not, check out our previous post on the subject. Anyway, if you want to let the Government know what a bunch of tossers they are being by proceeding with live trials, even when all the closed trials results should have shouted out in big red letters: “THIS ISN’T GOING TO WORK”, the GetUp.org is calling for you to sign their petition.
I know, petitions are a bit of a nothing way of demonstration, but considering the massive push GetUp are putting behind their efforts to thwart the Government’s filtering program, it can’t hurt to add your name to the list. And it might actually make a difference.
To sign the petition, point your browser here. Do it now.
All internet cafes in the main 14 city districts of Beijing have been mandated to install cameras to take pics of people as they enter the store, which are they uploaded to a city-wide database under watch of the Cultural Law Enforcement Taskforce. Shop owners have apparently said that their customers don’t care, but apparently an online version of the People’s Daily showed 72% respondents opposing it because it violated their rights.
I was hoping that American Airlines would stand up against religious groups’ stupid demands, keeping their in-flight online service completely un-filtered. After all, they had great arguments: filtering porn sites will jeopardise the access to legitimate web sites, hindering the usability of their aeroplane wireless network. Not to mention the fact that people wanting to look at naughty bits in airplanes can always watch the porn stored in their computers, mobile phones, and personal multimedia players. The network filtering is not going to change that. Sadly, they now have changed their tune:
