[LINK] Censoring via Google ...

[Frank O'Connor]

Conroy's just downright embarrassing. Flitting 
from one Net screw-up to the next.

About the only thing he hasn't tried yet is try 
to hijack GMail like Iran, but I expect that is 
coming.

Wonder which one of his 'jobs for the boys' 
candidates will be appointed to oversee this 
fiasco ...

						Regards,
---
From: 
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/analysis/1591551/google-tells-australia-forth
Google tells Australia to go forth
Comment Rudd government wants the same service as China
By Nick Farrell
Thursday, 11 February 2010, 13:48

THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC of Australia cannot 
understand why Google is refusing to provide it 
with the same censorship service that gives to 
its fellow autocratic nation China.

Censorship mad Communications Minister Stephen 
Conroy wants Google to make the world a safer 
place by banning films it considers pornography 
or that refer to euthanasia, safer drug use and 
graffiti.

Dear Leader Conroy has asked Google to install a 
search filter like it did for the Chinese and 
Thai governments. However Google has said that 
Conroy would have to change the law before it 
would kick its customers like that.

Google warns this would lead to the removal of 
many politically controversial, but not illegal 
and mostly harmless Youtube clips.

The government is about to introduce legislation 
within weeks to force ISPs to block a blacklist 
of websites that it has refused classification 
(RC), and the government says it is in talks with 
Google over blocking the same type of material 
from Youtube.

Youtube's rules already forbid certain videos 
that would be classified as RC, such as sex, 
violence, bestiality and child pornography. 
However Conroy wants the rules to fit into the 
same quaint knee-jerk morals that have made 
Australia such a shining economic miracle safe 
for people of all sexes and races.

Conway is trying to make it look like it is all 
about obeying Australian law, although that 
particular law has not been through the 
parliament yet. He wants Google to make it a 
special case like China or Thailand, forgetting 
that those are not the sorts of places that 
Australians would like to live.

Google has recently threatened to pull out of 
China, partly due to continuing requests for it 
to censor a lot of material. We guess that would 
suit Conway just fine because it would mean fewer 
people looking at videos that call him a prat.

Since Google is based outside Australia it would 
mean that Conway would have to order the site 
blocked by local ISPs if he was going to enforce 
anything.

A Google spokesperson was quoted as saying she 
found it hard to believe that the Australian 
government can in any way force an American 
company to follow Australian law in America.

Google might have bowed to China and Indonesia 
who would have just blocked its service if it did 
not comply. However Australia would have a bit of 
a difficulty getting away with that politically. 
Most Aussies see Youtube as harmless. Conway has 
managed to convince some with his Internet 
filtering plans because he claims he is defending 
people from those bugbears the horrid 
paedophiles, since the fear of those monsters can 
justify everything. However censorship of Youtube 
would be seen for what it is - a backward step 
trying to drag Australia back to a time when 
autocratic controls were seen as essential for 
the preservation of society.

Stripped of his paedophile excuse, Conway is just 
seen as a knee-jerk censor who is opposed to 
anyone having access to anything he doesn't 
approve of or talking about subjects that are not 
official government policy.

Google has also pulled the rug out from 
underneath Conway this week by releasing a filter 
for parents to install so that their kids do not 
end up watching stuff that is inappropriate for 
them. It can clearly say he is usurping people's 
parental rights to decide what is best for their 
children.

When Monty Python's Life of Brian came out there 
were calls to have it banned. When it was shown 
in New Zealand it was given an R16 certificate by 
a censor who was sympathetic to religious 
feelings about the film. At age 14, I could not 
see it. I wanted to see it because I liked Monty 
Python. My dad decided that I should be able to 
make up my own mind about religious content and 
he took me to see it, most probably illegally. 
Brilliant film, but if it had been left entirely 
up to a government body I would not have been 
able to see it. My parents, after discussing the 
matter together, decided I should be able to see 
it. Conway's daft plan, by ignoring Google's 
parent filters, would effectively take them out 
of the equation. µ