[LINK] Internet uprising overturns South Australian censorship law

[Kim Holburn]

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/02/internet-uprising-overturns-australian-censorship-law.ars

> Internet uprising overturns Australian censorship law
> The state of South Australia has a new election law that went into  
> effect January 6, and its effect was shocking: anonymous political  
> speech on the Internet was simply destroyed.
>
> The law required anyone posting a political comment online during an  
> election period to supply their real name and address or face a fine  
> of up to AUS$1,250. The measure was grossly discriminatory—it  
> applied only to bloggers and commenters, not to online  
> "journals" (newspapers or magazine which are written by Real  
> Journalists).
>
> Politicians had apparently developed a thin skin to anonymous  
> commentary, some of which no doubt did devolve into rank defamation,  
> but Australia already has defamation laws that could be used against  
> truly egregious material. Ending online anonymous speech was an  
> extreme solution, one not appreciated by the targets of the law.
>
> AdelaideNow was one of the main sites caught in the crosshairs. The  
> site provides a forum for discussion of local affairs, and it railed  
> in an editorial this morning about the rule, both for practical and  
> principled reasons.
>

.....

> The fine art of the "backdown"
> The cries of the outraged citizenry have had an effect. While  
> defending the new rules as recently as yesterday, Atkinson suddenly  
> backed off from them today. He sent a statement to AdelaideNow, one  
> remarkable for its candor.
>
> "From the feedback we've received through AdelaideNow, the blogging  
> generation believes that the law supported by all MPs and all  
> political parties is unduly restrictive. I have listened. I will  
> immediately after the election move to repeal the law  
> retrospectively... It may be humiliating for me, but that's politics  
> in a democracy and I'll take my lumps."
>


-- 
Kim Holburn
IT Network & Security Consultant
M: +61 404072753
mailto:kim at holburn.net  aim://kimholburn
skype://kholburn - PGP Public Key on request