The Australian government is attempting to implement what amounts to censorship of all Internet traffic.
This is just the next step that governments will take to restore control over the restless populace who have come to realize that the world as presented to them by their corporate and government masters is not reality, but a manufactured facade designed to maintain control of the narrative that shapes their lives.
The Internet ranks in history with the introduction of movable type into Western Europe in its impact on the spread and availability of knowledge.
With the introduction of the printed book and the easy to print and distribute pamphlet and single sheet flyer, suddenly it was no longer as easy to control the unwashed masses.
The Church lost control because no longer were the priests and the monasteries the sole factory for books, and the literate interpreters of the Bible. Gutenberg's Latin Vulgate 42 Line Bible of 1452 (still considered one of the most beautiful books ever printed), was just the beginning.
The real fun started with the printing of the bible in the common languages of the countries in Europe. Not only was this an explosion of information availability for the commoner, the bible translations in most countries proved to be the influential and cementing factor in the transition to the modern versions of most of the Western European languages. In Germany, the most influential was The Luther Bible in 1534. In England, John Wycliff was responsible for this linguistic leading to cultural revolution:The Influence of John Wycliffe
What we have with the Internet, however, is even more dangerous to the established power structures. With the Internet, communication is not hampered by the delays required in printing a book, or even a newspaper. With the advent of the Internet and World Wide Web, communication is virtually instant. And anyone can play. I personally have purchased a domain name, set up the DNS, and had it go live with an initial home page within a matter of a quarter of an hour. If you have a cause you want to put forward, this is just hard to beat.
And that it is why increasingly repressive regimes around the world are starting to interfere with and threaten the free flow of information on the Internet. One prime example in the past year has been the attempts by Pakistan and Turkey to kill YouTube traffic into their countries. Pakistan's interference was so badly designed technically it caused YouTube to die worldwide for a while, not just for those in Pakistan.
It is hard to put the genie back in the bottle once it is out. But that is what Australia appears to think it can do. And this is a harbinger of things to come, if we here in America do not keep beating the drums for Net Neutrality and against the attempts of the government and Internet Service Providers to throttle the free and open communication of the Internet.
New York Times: Proposed Web Filter Criticized in Australia
The Australian government plans to test a nationwide Web filtering system that would force Internet service providers to block access to thousands of sites containing questionable or illegal content, prompting cries of censorship from advocacy groups.
The proposed filter is part of a $82 million "cybersafety plan" started in May with the goals of protecting children online and stopping adults from downloading content that is illegal to possess in Australia, like child pornography or materials related to terrorism.
But the plan has ignited opposition from online advocacy groups and industry specialists who say it would slow browsing speeds and do little to block undesirable content.
Last month, the minister of communications, Stephen Conroy, invited Internet service providers and mobile phone operators to participate in a live trial of the program, which is set to begin this year.
The proposed system consists of two tiers. Under the first, all Australian service providers must block access to around 10,000 Web sites on a list maintained by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, the federal monitor that oversees film classifications.
The second tier would require service providers to provide an optional filter that individuals could use to block material deemed unsuitable for children, like pornography or violence.
The government says the list, which is not available to the public, includes only illegal content, mostly child pornography. But critics worry about the lack of transparency and say the filter could be used to block a range of morally hazy topics, like gambling or euthanasia.
Of course, as we all know, one politician's or religious fundamentalist's illegal content is another persons freedom and right to live as they were born or have chosen to live. It is another person's right to think differently or speak out against the power structure of the nation in which they live.
If you don't think this sort of action is a threat that can lead to the end of what sites like DailyKos have accomplished on the political landscape of America, then you are still not paying attention.