XPost: alt.politics.howard-dean, alt.flame.rednecks   
   From: kingkongg@iglou.com   
      
   "James"  wrote in message   
   news:Xns9FDDE74B9D088gbczxbgfdz@94.75.214.39   
   > Socialist Australia Joins China, Saudi Arabia, North Korea on its way   
   > to Harmfree Internet   
   >   
   > ISPs in Australia oppose internet filtering legislation   
   >   
   > The internet service providers in Australia have shown their protest   
   > against the internet filtering legislation, which was created by the   
   > Australian Labor party to crack down on internet pornography targeting   
   > children.   
   >   
   > The legislation was created by the Australian Minister for Broadband   
   > Senator Stephen Conroy and Family First Senator Steve Fielding.   
   > Senator Conroy announced an opt-out plan early in January 2008 that   
   > asked all internet service providers (ISPs) in Australia to filter   
   > 'objectionable material' defined by the Australian Communications and   
   > Media Authority (ACMA) from the internet traffic. The ISPs, IT   
   > managers and Electronic Frontiers Australia   
   > (EFA), an Australian civil liberties organization have jointly   
   > rebutted the scheme claiming that it will economically unfeasible to   
   > monitor and maintain ISP-level filtering.   
   >   
   > The ISPs also informed the government that the cost of providing a   
   > 'clean' feed will be passed on to the customers, which will increase   
   > the access cost of internet in the continent. Additionally, the ISPs   
   > claim that the proposedlegislation lack transparency and has vague   
   > definitions regarding the content to be filtered.   
   >   
   > Bernadette McMenamin, chief executive at Child Wise, an organization   
   > working against child abuse, has come out in favor of the legislation   
   > calling it a small step in the right direction.   
   >   
   > "Clearly ISP filtering is only one small strategy dealing with a huge   
   > complex problem. We are working with communities, with children who   
   > have been trafficked into prostitution, with governments, with tourism   
   > industries etc. Hopefully we can work effectively with the ISP   
   > industry, but ISP filtering is only one strategy," Ms McMenamin added.   
   >   
   > With the implementation of this legislation, Australia will join   
   > countries like China, Saudi Arabia, North Korea and Burma who also   
   > monitor the internet access of their citizens. The governments in the   
   > UK, Denmark and Sweden have also implemented a system to block child   
   > porn sites without blocking legitimate sites.   
      
   aioe   
   Tsk. Shame.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)