[LINK] Labor will make ISPs filter porn on Net

[Irene Graham]

On Thu, 23 Mar 2006 11:13:04 +1100, Rick Welykochy wrote:

> Glen Turner wrote:
[...]
>> Beasley is thinking of the christian fundamentalist vote. SA's election
>> shows it is roughly the same size as the vote of the environmental movement.

And fundamentalist christian groups have been lobbying for mandatory ISP 
filtering since at least mid 2004. Recent research reveals they've been quite 
active on that front, more here:

Time Line of Mandatory ISP Filtering Proposals and Religious Right Group's 
lobbying campaigns, 2003-2006
http://www.efa.org.au/Issues/Censor/mandatoryblocking.html#timeline
>
> Well, the fundamentalists will have to be satisfied with an opt-in system if
> they also want a democracy. And who says they would not be happy with an opt-
> in system. 

They do. Well actually, they say they want an 'opt-in' system, but their version 
of 'opt-in' means opt-in to having the default filter switched off.

Here's one example:

http://www.acl.org.au/pdfs/load_pdf_public.pdf?pdf_id=393&from=NATIONAL
Media Release, 5th September 2005
'The Australian Christian Lobby today welcomed the ALP’s initiative offering a 
subsidy for parents to buy internet filtering software, but urged both parties 
to go further.
“We need to shift debate on this issue,” argued Jim Wallace, Executive Chairman 
of the Australian Christian Lobby. “Violent and pornographic content should be 
blocked by the ISP and people who wish to view this content should be required 
to ‘opt in’.
Responsibility for filtering this content should not rest with busy or computer 
illiterate parents. This will ensure greatest protection to children,” claimed 
Mr. Wallace ... '

Irene