Government launches free porn filter initiative

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Labor will have mandatory internet filtering Anonymous -- 21/08/07

"Under Labor's ISP filtering policy Australian Internet users will be prevented from accessing content that has been identified as prohibited by ACMA, including violent and pornographic sites," he said.

At least under the Liberals its voluntary.

As I understand it the Liberals provide a free PC level filter or the option of getting your ISP to filter your content for you. This should have minimum interference for users who do not require filtering.

Under Labor policy everything will be filtered both slowing the systems down and censoring content for those who do not want censorship.

Is this correct?

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Labor will have mandatory internet filtering Anonymous -- 23/08/07 (in reply to #320084744)

I really hope that Senator Coonan was taken out of context here.

There would be nothing worse than Australia building its own Great Firewall. It would slow international trade with Australia down and have a chilling effect on our privacy.

Countries such as Sweeden have tried to implement Government mandated internet filtering to cries for their privacy and electronic freedoms groups. The Pirate Bay and the Kopimi affair have a great deal to say about this , visit http://thepiratebay.org/blog for details of their fights with the local filtering authorities.

Government providing free filtering software for its citizens that they run on their pcs (Windows, of course) is one thing. If a site is blocked the request never leaves the PC.

Doing ISP filtering means the request goes over the wire to your ISPs filtering computer. The details of sites accessed can be shared with government (or third parties such as marketing firms?!?). This is totally unacceptable and must not even be considered.

Senator Coonan, clarify your position on this. I (and many other Australians that value their freedom, privacy and speech) would never vote for a party that tried to take them away from us.

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Internet Filtering Howard Bailey -- 25/08/07 (in reply to #320084845)

I totally agree with anonymous. Parents being able to access filters to protect their kids is one thing, but adults of legal age being told what sites they can go to is another.

I live in Queensland, and unlike other states we are denied access to x rated magazines such as Mayfair, a tasteful men's magazine popular in England due to our own peculiar censorship laws. At least with the internet I can access tasteful porno sites.

Seems there is still a bit of communism in Labor by wanting to tell people what they can think, read, watch and do. This is enough to change my vote.

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internet filtering Anonymous -- 09/04/09 (in reply to #320084981)

I disagree with Queenland. My husband has become a full blown sex-addict because he started out with "tasteful" porn sites. When those sites no longer gave him pleasure he moved on to hard core, and then prostitution and infidelity. I want to be protected. It should be difficult for people to spiral downward through the porn funnel. I applaud your government,

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We must clean up the net Ben Walsh -- 09/09/08

I agree with Mr Coonan traditional parenting skills have never been more important.
zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Teen-cracks-AU-84-million-porn-filter-in-30-minutes/

I work online so am half savvy, my wife is computer illiterate. Today she was told by an alarmed mother that my son (10) had given her son the url of a porn site. I tried to explain to my wife (now also an alarmed mother) that there was probably little in it.

To show her i googled serena and sure enough two clicks and we could see Miss Williams' nipples.

Kevin Rudd soon releases his next statement on the ($84m++) filter, I ask him how will I be able to convince Junko (my wife) to keep the internet connected. What happens if one passover she searches for an image of a donkey?

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