Govt undeterred by blacklist leaks
- 25 March, 2009 13:29
- Comments (30)
Further leakages of the government's Web site blacklist will not affect plans to deploy a national Internet content filter, according to Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.
Speaking at a Sydney press conference this morning, Conroy said the leaked list would serve only to publicise Web sites that promote terrorism, hate and child porn.
“Does the [leaked blacklist] mean we are going to stop blocking access to the sites? No. People can continue to put up the lists if they are proud to do that,” Conroy said.
“It is completely untrue that the leaked blacklist contains political content. This is a list which contains sites that promote incest, rape, child pornography and child abuse.
“If people think [leaking the list] is a victory for free speech, to make available that sort of information, they have a perverse sense of free speech. You can oppose the filter and not be a supporter of child pornography, but equally you can support the filters and still be supporter of free speech.
Conroy said the Queensland dental surgery, revealed last week to be on the published blacklist, was added by the vendor that leaked the list after pornography was injected into its Web site by hackers.
He said the latest blacklist published by wikileaks.org on the March 20 “seemed to be close” to the list currently held by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
Conroy said much of the analyst and media commentary about the filtering scheme and the blacklists are false.
“The majority of claims and allegations that are made about what we are doing are entirely false. The filter is based on the Broadcast Services Act that does not include political content [and] the same people do the same test for TV, print and radio.”
The blacklist was setup nine years ago by the then Howard government and continues to operate independent of parliamentary intervention.
Web filter participant Tech 2U managing director Andrew Robson also said the leaked blacklist bears little resemblance to the one held by the government regulator.
He said the blacklist he received from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) in February this year contained about 1000 Web addresses. The first list published last week on Wikileaks contained about 2300.
“The list is made up of sites lodged from complaints that have breached the classification guidelines. And if it breaches guidelines, the regulator can only block the offending page, not the whole site,” Robson said.
“These lists are given to a stack of software vendors and ISPs that add their own content.
“I am told a page saying 'this site is blocked by the federal government' will be displayed if pages are banned.”
Robson said opponents have double standards if they accept restricted content in television, print and movie theatres but object to comparable filtering of the Internet.
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Comments
Anonymous
No political content my foot!
“It is completely untrue that the leaked blacklist contains political content."
He's still repeating this lie is he? How does he explain the anti-abortion website being on the list then?
Anonymous
No political content my foot!
I see that Senator Conroy is still repeating the lie that there is no political content on the blacklist - how does he explain the presence of the anti-abortion site on the list then?
Anonymous
Conroy. Foot. Mouth. Again.
Anonymous
Or the pro-euthenasia site?
Surprised
Really?
"Robson said opponents have double standards if they accept restricted content in television, print and movie theatres but object to comparable filtering of the Internet."
Really? Do we currently have a secret list of prohibited material for tv, print and movies much of which has never actually been before the classifications board without a review or appeals process?
Do we seek to block MA15+ and R18+ material from adults in Australia using a secret list?
I'd be surprised if anyone believed that!
Anonymous
Ban Conroy, not the internet!!!
Steve D
we're not confused...are we?
OK, so we're not confused, we're all singing from the same hymn sheet?
So who's right and who's wrong ?
"He [Conroy] said the latest blacklist reportedly obtained by wikileaks.org over the weekend “seemed to be close” to the [ACMA] list... "
"Andrew Robson ...said the leaked blacklist bears little resemblance to the one held by the government regulator."
Steve D
we're not confused...are we?
[Conroy] said the latest blacklist reportedly obtained by wikileaks.org over the weekend “seemed to be close” to the list
But Robson says it bears 'little resemblance'.
Keep the messages clear guys, it's all coming together like a well-oiled plan.
Anonymous
You can't compare Radio and TV with the internet Conjob... It is not the same.
Anonymous
(No subject)
<strong>Conroy...</strong>
He said the latest blacklist reportedly obtained by wikileaks.org over the weekend “seemed to be close” to the list currently held by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
<strong>Robson...</strong>
Web filter participant Tech 2U managing director Andrew Robson also said the leaked blacklist bears little resemblance to the one held by the government regulator.
Do these guys even bother to get their stories straight..?
Hey Conjob, how about anti-abortion sites, euthanasia and regular entirely legal porn?
You are a liar. You have lied repeatedly to the Australian people over this issue. You have lied about taking it to the election, and the story since is an interesting trail of fictional coverups for your ignorance and arrogance.
Anonymous
Can we have some truth for a change?
Senator Conroy, please answer these questions:
a) In every home filter that was cracked the list was contained in a file called "Websites_ACMA.txt". Read that again - <strong>A C M A</strong> - is that a coincidence or are you lying?
b) If as you say "<em>the majority of claims and allegations that are made about what we are doing are entirely false</em>" please tell us which ones <em>are</em> true.
c) You also say "<em>you can oppose the filter and not be a supporter of child pornography</em>", You seem to have changed your tune from when you accused Senator Scott Ludlam of being a supporter of child pornography in the Senate. Is he or isn't he? Would you dare to repeat it outside of the Senate and in reach of the courts?
d) Do you have any other employment lined up after your political career is over?
Anonymous
Why is this moron still the Communications minister?
He should have been thrown out on his a*** months ago.
Heard it all before
And so it goes... goes round again
- The ideal voter -
Sure Steve. We believe every word you say. We know, you're speaking the truth because you would tell us different otherwise.
- Senator Steve's consciousness -
I'm wrong, our party policy is wrong! It's not what the public wanted. We have to change our policy, because that's the government's job! It's got nothing to do with patronizing the public and treating them all like children to get what we want. No No, we have to act on behalf of public at large, afterall it's our job.
- Senator Steve's higher self -
Steve, Steve! it's OK to mate, calm down. We all make a mistakes and we learn from these mistakes, it's what makes us human. The general public relates to that and will sympathize with you. Remember Steve, you are human and you are allowed to change your mind.
- Reality check -
Conroy - definant til the end, regardless of what's right or wrong!
Anonymous
Conroy is a two-bob spiv- completely and utterly without technological expertise.
He sounds like a cockney thug, except cockney thugs don't lie as much as this cretin does.
Ask yourself this Conroy- do you really want to bequeath the ability to censor political sites to the Liberals ?
You are the worst minister to ever blackmail their way into a portfolio.
Anonymous
Contradictions.
"[Conroy] said the latest blacklist reportedly obtained by wikileaks.org over the weekend “<strong>seemed to be close</strong>” to the list currently held by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)."
"Web filter participant Tech 2U managing director Andrew Robson also said the leaked blacklist <strong>bears little resemblance</strong> to the one held by the government regulator."
<em>Would the real ACMA blacklist please stand up?</em>
Anonymous
Name one.
"This is a list which contains sites that promote incest, rape, child pornography and child abuse."
Name one. POINT TO JUST ONE SITE on the list that actually contains any of that material.
Then kindly explain to the audience why it's been on a list for the past few months instead of being dealt with by official law enforcement agencies.
Anonymous
really.
If its not the official list, why when visiting ANY site on those leaked lists from within a government department, you get a blocked message with reason "Government filter list".
Over 5 years working with the state dept filter and we see reasons such as : adult/entertainment/social etc.. but NEVER Government filter.
Every site on the list comes up with the same, previously unseen, filter code. Even sites that have some other categories as well....which suggests that the "leaked" list was added "over the top of" existing bans on sites. But why? If its not THE list?
acdcfan
The utter C.R.A.P
Also the utter crap that comes from Conroy; including claiming "mandates" for apparently deeply unpopular policy , that rubbish about "trusting" politicians (and then lying through his false teeth about "fake" lists), and not to mention what he tried to do to Mark. This is the last person I'd trust my right to free speech to.
Next thing you know Australia will change name to C.R.A.P=Commonwealth republic of Australian Provinces.
Anonymous
Why won't this fool LISTEN?
Anonymous
amended wikileaks list
why can't you reporters get it right:
<cite>He said the blacklist he received from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) in February this year contained about 1000 Web addresses. The list published last week on Wikileaks contained about 2300</cite>
Wikileaks then leaked an amended list for march 18 which contained roughly 1170 urls, STOP reporting about the August 2008 list as if wikileaks was claiming it to be the current list
Anonymous
no brains to listen that is why?
He destroyed NBN and tender for it and now it is totally obsolete.... How can something like this be trusted to a person that does not listen to industry experts but pretend to know everything.
william_nguyen@idg.com.au
Robson said opponents have double standards if they accept restricted content in television, print and movie theatres but object to comparable filtering of the Internet.
---
I dont even watch TV anymore because of that crap.
Its all controlled by a few organisations and filtered by cranky old grannies who sit at home and complain all day about how bad things are.
TV, newspapers, radio, all controlled and censored media.
The net is one of the last frontiers of information which people can really find what they want.
Just because the rest is censored doesnt mean we want the net to be censored.
Anonymous
The anti-abortion *page* (NOT an entire site) on the list is there because of its gruesome imagery involving actual aborted foetuses.
If it was anything remotely to do with "political content", then the entire site would be blocked, which it isn't.
The page in question contains virtually no content except the images.
It shouldn't be on the blacklist, IMO, but the argument that it is because it's "political content", when the ACTUAL political content on that website is not at all on the list, shows an offensive level of ignorance of how existing regulation and censorship in this country actually works.
Reece
Govt undeterred by blacklist leaks
What we have here, is failure to comunicate. In Conroy's faith filtered glasses he has seen the light. 'The Govt is undeterred' because nothing was ever going to get in his way. As far as this Senator is concerned the filter is going ahead, after all, he is the elected official, if he wants to do something the last time he checked he can. And the arrogant fool will probably do what is nessasary to see his dream to fruition.
your filter will be nothing more than a censorship tool for loud minority groups Conjob.. And Australia will have to deal with that shame well after your career is over. Wake up its time to get out of politics and go back to church.
Anonymous
Arseclown of the year
Early call, but I don't think anyone can top Conroy for arseclown of the year at this stage...
The Judge Decides
Arseclown of the year Decided
Not an early call at all, you win hands down...
Anonymous
Political content can definitely include images
"The anti-abortion *page* (NOT an entire site) on the list is there because of its gruesome imagery involving actual aborted foetuses."
The imagery is part of the site operator's means of convincing visitors to share their point of view on this political issue - there is no definition of political speech that would exclude the blacklisted page. It is without doubt political content, and it is without a doubt being blocked (for users of filters that include the ACMA list, and for everyone if Conroy has his way).
Anonymous
even if kevin rudd was the son of god, i would still put labor last in the next election on the account of this clown
small minded, yes! vindictive, yes! i'm a voter, yes!
Kane
Wanker
This man is one of the biggest fools of all time.
Long time labour support no longer due to this unaustralian wanker!
Kane
Going backwards.
This sort of behavior hasn't been seen since the days of Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot.. Communism and oppression go hand in hand, Labor is clearly operating communist policies under the banner of democracy, vicious African dictators have done the same for years.
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