Censorship - not clean just dirty

What do you think of the Australian Government's plans to censor the internet (the so-called "Clean Feed")?

According to nocleanfeed.com the Government is committed to clean-feed the internet in Australian homes, schools and on public computers. Heres what we know so far of this plan to censor the internet:

Filtering will be mandatory in all homes and schools across the country.

The clean feed will censor material that is "harmful and inappropriate" for children.

The filter will require a massive expansion of the ACMA's blacklist of prohibited content.

The Government wants to use dynamic filters of questionable accuracy that slow the internet down by an average of 30%.

The filtering will target legal as well as illegal material.

$44m has been budgeted for the implementation of this scheme so far.

The clean-feed for children will be opt-out, but a second filter will be mandatory for all Internet users.

A live pilot deployment is going ahead in the near future.

This plan is bullocks! First of all there are technical issues, in that the internet does not work in such a way that would let a filter even come into effect. The internet is huge, there is so much content and I don't see how the Government could even come to terms with overpowering this vast cyber landscape with a filter. Second of all there are free-speech issues. If the Government controls what we can and cannot see then I believe this is taking away our rights of freedom. It steals Australians of an ability to make decisions about what content they can view.

Thirdly, what is this going to cost us? To attempt this filter, the Government will be throwing tens of millions of dollars into a worthless cause. The so called clean feed to protect our children is using money that could be better spent elsewhere!

Support for this overly broad Government plan though is virtually non-existent, even from child-protection organisations. In an Australian Broadband Survey results show that 51.5% of Australian net users are strongly against the plan, while only 2.9% strongly support it. 

So In my opinion, the Government should focus their time and money on more important issues in our nation. What they are trying to attempt will no doubt fail miserably and if they recognise the huge opposition to the 'Clean feed' then maybe they will find a better use of their coin...

http://whirlpool.net.au/survey/2007/

http://nocleanfeed.com/learn.html

What place does censorship have in a democracy?

Censorship does not have a place in democracy. Plain and simple, it does not fit the age of freedom of information in which we live.
"Even if freedom of expression is merely a tool for uncovering and communicating truths, censorship, even well-meaning and well-regulated censorship, cannot in its nature serve to promote equality and justice."

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/censorship+impossible+democracy/1696194/story.html

(All website viewed September 17, 18, 19, 2009)