Democrats leader calls mandatory internet filter a waste, launches website.
Although no longer represented in the Parliament of Australia, the Australian Democrats political party vows to fight against the current government’s plans to implement a mandatory, yet secretive and morally ambiguous internet blacklist. It has launched the website No Internet Censorship, which contains some groundwork information for what it calls the ‘The Democrats Alternative.’
“… education, awareness and a good home-based filter is the best option for ensuring your children are protected online,” it explains. “We do not believe the Australian Government should be attempting to filter the internet, forcibly or otherwise.”
The website also goes on to mention the impossibly high barrier to entry on implementing such a filter. “In particular,” it says, “the impracticability of different classification and censorship regimes applied to different media in a world where that content can be easily replicated on another media.”
A “shadowy government-run blacklist of sites” isn’t going to protect children, says party leader Julia Melland. “It’s a waste of resources and it’s not going to prevent children being exposed to the vast majority of material parents would want to block.”
Based on input from the public, including the forums on the newly launched website, Melland believes that the Democrats can create a fair policy that actually has a chance to be effective. “The Australian Democrats are working on developing a sound, sensible cyber safety policy that provides parents real tools and resources to protect their children, and at the same time protects the freedoms of other Australians”.
If the issue of a mandatory internet filter grabs your attention, be sure to check out the website and the reasons why the Democrats believe the current proposal is bollocks. Its thoughts on the matter have all been said before, but it’s great to see a party get behind the idea.
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