ACMA blacklists Wikileaks, attacks Whirlpool

[Brains]

(ref: Sydney Morning Herald and APC Magazine

The Australian Communications & Media Authority threatened internet communications forum Whirlpool.net.au with an $11,000-per-day fine unless they edited a forum member's posting which hyperlinked to Wikileaks. Wikileaks was added to the ACMA blacklist for publishing a leaked document containing Denmark's list of banned websites.

"The first rule of censorship is that you cannot talk about censorship," Wikileaks said on its website in response to the ACMA ban.

[banjo]

According to the that article the threat was not made because the Whirlpool user linked to Wikileaks but because they linked to an anti-abortion website which is also on the ACMA blacklist. They were using this case to highlight an apparent claim by the ACMA that they would issue fines for linking to blacklisted websites.

The article is worth a read -- there are suggestions that other countries (whose blacklists have been leaked) have pushed their censorship beyond their initial intents into avenues such as political discussions.

[lenman74]

was only one specific page of wikileaks added to the blacklist?

I can still access their site and the page where they refer to the ACMA communication, though not any page with the link to the site in question.

[tcn33]

Wikileaks is still linking to the site in question here - this link is work safe and doesn't contain anything objectionable to anyone but Mr Conroy. But the other link, not so much. You've been warned.

[semaja2]

Didnt the internet have a problem with the bluray encryption key? maybe we should give the goverment the same treatment

[lenman74]

Ok then why can we still see the abortion page if its on the current blacklist of illegal websites in Australia as implemented by the ISP's?

[matthewk]

Originally Posted by lenman74

Ok then why can we still see the abortion page if its on the current blacklist of illegal websites in Australia as implemented by the ISP's?

The filter isn't there yet. I'm not exactly sure if there is anyway currently to get blocked by the blacklist. Is anything currently using the blacklist?

[haydio]

Originally Posted by lenman74

Ok then why can we still see the abortion page if its on the current blacklist of illegal websites in Australia as implemented by the ISP's?

+1

[cosmichobo]

*blink*

Did I... blink and miss something? Our internet is already being censored??

[Silver]

Kinda. ACMA has the power to order you to take down content on your website if it is hosted in Australia. Any site that links to it can also be threatened with fines of $11,000 a day if they do not comply with the take down notice. All ACMA can do if the site is hosted overseas is add it to its blacklist. I think the blacklist is used by some proprietary filters, such as the one that operates on Parliament House computers.

No mandatory filtering takes place in Australia yet, but will do if Senator Conroy has his way.

This is why it is important to fight this. Write to your MPs! Call 'em on the phone. Tell them you do not support mandatory filtering and it will change your vote.

[cosmichobo]

Guess it's too late to do anything on the state level here in QLD, as the election is in a few days, and they prob wont care anyway.

Interesting to learn about the ACMA and its black list... had no idea we had such an operation going on here...

I can kind of appreciate something in that manner, as long as there is a right of appeal to an unbiased "Judge".. But a blatant blanket filter, no thank you. Of course in reality it'll be people like us getting censored when we're trying to have discussions about such things, as compared to the actual people who may be doing things they really really oughtent...

[evmorg]

More on this topic...

www.smh.com.au

Worrying signs.

[cosmichobo]

What bloody good is that list, when I've seen "abortiontv" posters plastered all over the place here in Woodridge?!

And...

How much trouble am I getting myself in for if I have a look at these pages to see why they were banned....

[lenman74]

Originally Posted by Silver

Kinda. ACMA has the power to order you to take down content on your website if it is hosted in Australia. Any site that links to it can also be threatened with fines of $11,000 a day if they do not comply with the take down notice. All ACMA can do if the site is hosted overseas is add it to its blacklist. I think the blacklist is used by some proprietary filters, such as the one that operates on Parliament House computers.

No mandatory filtering takes place in Australia yet, but will do if Senator Conroy has his way.

This is why it is important to fight this. Write to your MPs! Call 'em on the phone. Tell them you do not support mandatory filtering and it will change your vote.

wow, I actually thought I was following this and understanding this. I thought we were already somehow being filtered if ACMA had a current list. Seems that it is not operational. Now I can understand the push to stop it. I thought we could opt out and it would be just the same as today. Not so it seems.

so if its overseas content acma just puts it on a list and fines anyone for linking or talking about it, but they don't actually stop you from accessing it. interesting.

I would love to know what that dentist did to piss off someone at ACMA to get listed like that. Even so, what the hell good is the list if it didn't stop any traffic to his site.

sounds like if the proposed filter doesn't go ahead they should throw out the current list/regime as well as it is clearly not working and not ever going to work.

[cosmichobo]

Oh no!!

Telstra's in trouble!!

They have Distinction Dental listed in their business white pages (listed under the dr's name).

I wonder if the ACMA are fining them $11,000/day....

[sarcasm, and serious]

[toholio]

Originally Posted by cosmichobo

Oh no!!

Telstra's in trouble!!

They have Distinction Dental listed in their business white pages (listed under the dr's name).

I wonder if the ACMA are fining them $11,000/day....

[sarcasm, and serious]

Report them to ACMA! Then publish the result of their determination for the internet to see. Does the dental practise appear in Google results? Notify ACMA again!

I'm serious.

[Keving]

Originally Posted by cosmichobo

How much trouble am I getting myself in for if I have a look at these pages to see why they were banned....

You'd probably be fine until the blacklist filter comes in.. but i doubt its worth the risk, considering it's mostly porn looking at those urls.

[Phase]

why the hell was Xtube blocked?

It's just vanilla run of the mill porn :s

[cosmichobo]

Originally Posted by toholio

Report them to ACMA! Then publish the result of their determination for the internet to see. Does the dental practise appear in Google results? Notify ACMA again!

I'm serious.

Whilst I'm usually happy to be a
... on this occasion... I'll let someone else...

[feeze]

Umm, so why is the abortion site in question on the blacklist in the first place?

I'm guessing it might have to do with the fact that it shows pictures of aborted foetuses. If this is the case then it is really, really worrying to think such a site would get the ire of a Government.