A clean feed?

By David Hollingworth
Oct 29, 2008 | 28 Comments
Tags: internet | censorship

Atomic just says NO to government plans to censor the net.

We've all been pretty aghast at the Federal government's plans to introduce a so-called 'clean feed' of internet material to the Australian public. In Federal eyes, it must seem that aussie adults are incapable of making informed decisions about what they will and will not watch, read or interact with online. To our minds, it's always been a pretty simply choice not to look at questionable content - don't want to see bukake? Well, don't log onto a site that features it.

Pretty simple.

Similarly the idea that such censorship is being put in place to protect children first and foremost is similarly spurious. In our minds, the people who should be doing that are parents. And, for the most part, that works just fine.

So, yeah, we've been trying to come up with a comprehensive response and smack down, but far better minds than ours have beaten us to the punch. Mark Newton - Senior Engineer at ISP Internode - has written a rather awesome letter to the Minister for Youth and Sport, and we think it's worth sharing. You can find a PDF of it here, but we'll sign off with just one of the awesome points he raises in his four page missive:

"The passing of time has shown that 1990 Senate’s concerns were completely wrong: Almost 20 years have passed since that enquiry, and Australians have enjoyed uncensored Internet access for the entire period. Society has not fallen apart, there is no emergency, children are not being raised in moral vacuums and turning into rapists and axe-murderers, parents are diligently and capably excelling in their efforts to raise their children into fine, upstanding citizens. Today’s parents are comfortable with ubiquitous access to unfiltered Internet, having grown up using Google to assist with homework assignments, publishing blogs and websites, using email to stay in touch with friends and family, and treating the Internet in its current unfiltered form as a valuable resource for the education and social engagement of their children."

And that's just a taste. It's well worth reading. If you have similar views, share them with others, and follow Mark's lead.

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28 Comments

Thoughts on this article? Add a comment below.

Shikimaru Oct 29, 2008 10:51 AM	Ahh, Internode FTW, best ISP in the WORLD!
majestic975 Oct 29, 2008 11:19 AM	Didnt the government try to censor the net in the late 90's as well? Also whats next, read our snail mail and listen to our phone conversations? All this in the name of keeping us safe? If anyone agrees to this or wants to feel more safe when they're using the net, then piss off and move to China. I hear that their net consorship is doing wonders for their citizens.
Genisis X Oct 29, 2008 11:22 AM	I honestly cannot believe the tards in canberra keep bringing this shit up. We've had uncensored internet in this country for thirty years ffs. -X
SyKRyD Oct 29, 2008 11:24 AM	yes, internode seem to be run by the right people who also employ the right people. they do seem like the google and apple of isps in australia. gg
majestic975 Oct 29, 2008 11:29 AM	A few issues with our Government in the last 15 years. Previous govt didnt trust the law abiding citizens with guns,so they took everyones guns away, now it seems like the curtrent govt doesnt trust the whole country with using the internet.Whats next, an amnesty on computers??? YOu have to hand it in because you cant be trusted with using it!!!!!! Lets all write to Kevin Rudd and express our concerns.
n00bz0r Oct 29, 2008 12:24 PM	Next think Krudd will be making Tiananmen Square MKII
smadge1 Oct 29, 2008 1:31 PM	there is a difference between offensive and illegal material.
Lord-Ezekiel Oct 29, 2008 2:11 PM	That was one of the most epic things I've ever read - I'm in awe. Internode = Made of PURE AWESOME!
majestic975 Oct 29, 2008 2:28 PM	I think we should all try to write awesome letters like that about the issue and send them to our local MP's.
SquallStrife Oct 29, 2008 2:51 PM	Try writing to your Senators as well. Ultimately it's them that need to overturn this legislation.
Achillesjg Oct 29, 2008 3:33 PM	What exactly does this entail? I assume it will filter porn, but to what extent? What will be accessible, and what won't?
majestic975 Oct 29, 2008 3:53 PM	Well, I think it could entail that we will ultimately end up a police state in the long run, as politicians take away things from us bit by bit using all sort of excuses to do it, whilst appealing to the conservative amongst us, who just agree and think that all the changes will ultimately benefit us.
smadge1 Oct 29, 2008 5:27 PM	Well, I assume content ratings would be applied to websites, only eg, R and X ratings. Anything that's unclassifiable would be illegal.
Harro2 Oct 29, 2008 8:47 PM	JUst another TAX grab typical of governments. Some one has to pay for it dont they, whos going to pay for the people that monitor the system. Internet excise any one? One things for sure about information, it always finds the person that seeks. Whats next illigal porn surfer locked away in jail for 12 months, who pays for that? Yep you guessed it. They gong to stop media from entering the country that dont conform to idealogical ideals, will they lock you away for not believing in christianity or Islam? Will they then ban you at looking at a dead person blown away by bombs, will they ban images of povety to make you feel good? Fuck censorship I want my rights as a thinking human being back
colganaitor Oct 30, 2008 12:21 AM	Yeah . . .good thing I picked Internode as my ISP. FTW. I just hope this Internet-censoring bullshit doesn't get passed. It's just hopeless that the people in charge don't seem to know about the Streisand effect, and anyone who's half-heard of the Internet knows that it interprets censorship as damage and paths around it.
discoInferno Oct 30, 2008 1:08 AM	If anyone wants to hear an interview with the guy who wrote that letter, Mark Newton, he did an interview for the "Tech Wired" podcast on the 20/10/08. It's pretty interesting to hear him talk about it. People should remember that just because one Engineer at Internode vocally opposes the idea of internet censorship, doesn't mean that if this censorship is mandated by the government that Internode as an ISP will publicly oppose it. If this makes it through government, we'll all be censored no matter who our ISP. I'm with Internode BTW and they do rock. :)
meta4 Oct 30, 2008 3:11 AM	The only ppl affected by the Govt Gun by back was the honest ppl. The same here if this is implemented. We will be restricted in a number of ways (speed, price, content....) but those after illegal material will still get it. Recommend all write to your local Federal MP and let'em know this is bs, I am.
smakme7757 Oct 30, 2008 4:32 AM	Australian internet 'Law' sucks big time, for example here in norway i can download 999999999999999 gigabytes of data at no extra cost. In australia you have to buy special plans for like 30gb Limit. Now they plan on censoring the internet, australia will fall even further behind the rest of the world when it comes to internet access if they do this! Pull ya finger out canberra!!
bu14-1 Oct 30, 2008 8:48 AM	I hope the comprehensive smack down goes well.
SyKRyD Oct 30, 2008 2:02 PM	this might be relevant: http://www.nocleanfeed.com/
SceptreCore Oct 30, 2008 4:10 PM	I don't believe in censoring anything, although there is some pretty sick shit out there on the web, true, you don't have to look at it, but stuff like necrophilia, and all other sick shit like that I wouldn't mind censored, just so kids don't accidentally or purposefully get access to it. And those Fucktards in the US who have that godhatesamerica.com... my god, how does their ISP let freaks like that put stuff up. But yeah, we don't really need censorship here, im happy to say that most Australians are discerning and intelligent people who do not to be limited in their interwebulal (hah, new word.. I copyrighted it!)venturing
ahsoka Oct 30, 2008 8:05 PM	I told you Kevin Rudd was getting too close to China!
jacobreed Oct 31, 2008 9:39 AM	Even if this bullshit does get passed cant we just use anonymous proxies and VPNs?
Knukklz Nov 3, 2008 9:09 PM	Has anybody noticed how long this plan has taken to get into the main stream media? Those that decry that this is a good idea are in the same category as those hand wringers who cry out "Think of the children!" and then proceed to treat us like a child. I for one say no to this, who is say that they wouldn't ban sites for showing "questionable" content like a screenshot from the new Call of Duty- because it shows someone holding a gun?
kotsbon Nov 4, 2008 12:28 PM	Anyone else having trouble with the PDF from the article? :(
sm1ddy Nov 13, 2008 9:50 PM	That's what we get for voting them in!
ArcaneMagik Nov 15, 2008 5:48 PM	I am pretty sure all ISPs would be happy to vocally disagree with the government on this on, except those involved in the NBN.
Nath84 Nov 18, 2008 3:41 PM	If this gets passed then I think I'll leave australia, I know it seems drastic but I like my freedom

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