Australian Gov't To Launch Net Crackdown

docfisher writes "According to this article on whirlpool, the Australian Govt is proposing laws that would allow sentences of up to two years jail time for using the internet for "menacing or offensive purposes". According to The Age, Protest organisers will also be targetted in the clampdown. Press release by Senator Alston here."

Great.

[Unknown Poltroon]

Offensive behaveyor. LEts see, that means i can have all religious sites off the internet, as they offend me. All sites advocating censorship. ALl government sites will have to be taken down, as the idea that they know better than i do offends me. WHo else can i take out under this vague and poorly worded law? WHen im done there will be nothing left but pornograpy, slashdot, and lemur jokes.

Re:Great.

[gl4ss]

not only that but i'd bet that all of the cases where this law would be really needed are already covered by other laws(just because you're on internet doesn't make it any different from the 'real' world on most 'menacing' and 'offending' acts).

-

Re:Great.

[jazman_777]

What makes you think _you_ get to decide what is offensive? It really means offensive to the State. The State always takes care of itself first, even against the people. (For example, it will prosecute counterfeiters more severely than check kiters.)

Re:Great.

[Alsee]

WHen im done there will be nothing left but pornograpy, slashdot, and lemur jokes.

You have just offended me and my pet lemur! Off to prison with ye!

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Re:Great.

[novakreo]

Offensive behaveyor. LEts see, that means i can have all religious sites off the internet, as they offend me.

Actually, religious sites are probably one of the few categories that this law couldn't cover, since under section 116 of the Australian Constitution [aph.gov.au], the Commonwealth is not allowed to prohibit the free exercise of any religion.

Exelent.

[Unknown Poltroon]

My new 3-way lesbian altar ceremony should be exempt.

Re:Great.

[Lord Kano]

Offensive behaveyor.

In the US, that is already illegal. Depending on whom you offend. A man was once sentanced to jail time for parking an EMPTY Ryder truck outside of an abortion clinic. [legalcasedocs.com]

LK

Oy....

[tha_mink]

It's Australian for fascism.

Who cares?

[Anonymous Coward]

They're all a bunch of criminals anyway.

I mean, Australia *was* a prison island for England afterall.

Prisoners == those few Poms with imagination left

[leonbrooks]

They only shipped the truly dangerous ones. You figure it out [lspace.org].

Engage brain before making law

[satyap]

Someone please tell the lawmakers to think a little. Like someone's already pointed out, just because it's the internet doens't make it different. Of course, there are differences, which are blithely ignored when it suits the lawmakers. I'm offended. By what? By everything! Shut down the net!

Sets a Totalitarian Precedent

[fuzzybunny]

Grandiose. Note please the use of the phrase 'telecommunications service', not 'internet'.

This implies that the media used to organize protests to help topple Joseph Estrada, to kill Hong Kong's internal security law, to bring out mass demonstrations against Cesar Chavez, and multitudinous other demonstrations against heavy-handed government actions, such as SMS, phone, or email, can all be punishable by the government.

In effect, this law nullifies the democratic advantage given to a population to organize against anything objectionable its government does. Equally important the bit about 'menacing'
and 'harassment'--essentially, any political protests could be construed as such. This brings to mind the Riot Act [bartleby.com], which stated that as soon as 12 or more people gather 'unlawfully', an officer of the law could read the act and anyone remaining at the gathering would be considered a felon.

Equally scary, but I suppose in a fashion typical for Australian and UK governments is the use of the kiddy-porn specter (in the US the catchword is 'terrorism'):

Communications Minister Richard Alston and Justice Minister Chris Ellison said the new offence was part of a package to also crack down on internet child pornography.

Clever, clever way to pass a law over potential objections--think of the children! As an outsider, I'm not qualified to criticize Australian politics on the whole, but boy, that seems like one scary senator you've got there.

Re:Sets a Totalitarian Precedent

[Alsee]

the kiddy-porn specter (in the US the catchword is 'terrorism'):

No, lucky us in the US have both. Terrorism is bigger/more pervasive of the two at the moment, but don't assume that somehow diminishes the kiddy-porn boogieman.

-

You mean "Senator Luddite"?

[leonbrooks]

I've often heard him referred to as that here in Oz. I've never met the guy personally, but his (Liberal Party, remember that party names over here are approximately the reverse of those in Yankee-land) policies seem to be missing a big dollop of what techies would regard as common sense or even basic understanding. Not that his political fellows are all angels and geniuses either. Kate Lundy (of the Labor Party, yes, spelling is correct for Oz, they are not, as has often been noted, the Labour Party) seems

Stupidity Without Borders

[poptones]

The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved a complicated child safety bill that also would ban computer-generated child pornography and sexually explicit Internet sites with misleading addresses. With the Senate's 98-0 vote, the measure now goes to President George W. Bush for his expected signature. The U.S. House of Representatives voted 400 to 25 to approve the 118-page bill...

Just like when they all voted unanymously to support the war, then half turn around three months later and cry foul...

Our leaders a

Front Page

[temojen]

Why is this not a front page story? Laws do have a tendency to spread, you know.

Re:Front Page

[YrWrstNtmr]

Why is this not a front page story? Laws do have a tendency to spread, you know.

Exactly. If this was the US, it'd be front page at 1000+ posts already.

"GEORGE BUSH is a low IQ asshole!"
"John Ashcroft is a Nazi!"
"New World Order = US Rule!"

All of which may or may not be 'true'. But because it's 'only' Oz, it languishes back here...15 posts in 10 hours. Sad.

Re:Front Page

[bigsteve@dstc]

Why is this not a front page story? Laws do have a tendency to spread, you know.

Because it isn't law, or even a draft law yet. It is just another press release from Senator Alston, who is well known for political grandstanding and generally shooting his mouth (and feet) off.

It only becomes really newsworthy when we see what the draft legislation looks like. If it is as bad as it sounds, there is little chance that it will get through the Senate without ammendment.

hmm

[ShadowRage]

like I've said, I'm gonna laugh when all systems entropy due to greed, and control whores. Really, there's no safe place to go anymore.. basically, we're all fucked and so the best thing you can do is sit back and let the system take itself down. becuase if you dare challenge, say the US govt. you're a terrorist and you're gonna sit in jail for the rest of your days without hearing or any actual rights.. Hitler would be proud.