More flak for Aussies over internet control

05.01.2008

This week's news that the new Australian Labour government led by prime minister Kevin Rudd was planning to increase control and censorship of the Internet through ISPs (see previous InfoPowa report) has met with a less than enthusiastic reception from Australian IT experts.

Rudd's plan is to inspan Internet Service Providers by requiring them to provide "clean feeds" that are free of porn and online gambling sites - a move that has been politely described as "idealistic but impractical".

Supporters of the plan assure that only sites on a (presumably government authored) blacklist will be blocked, and that citizens can opt-out if they wish, but IT experts claim that the plan conflicts with Rudd's pre-election promises to speed up the Antipodean Internet.

"The Rudd Government campaigned on a platform promising to speed up Australians' access to the worlwide web by rolling out broadband around the country," commented Sue Dunlevy of Australian IT, pointing out that the blacklist enlistment of ISPs would have the opposite effect.

The "Clean Feed" plan would greatly strain and hinder Australia's internet performance, specialists opined.