Australia to implement national web censorship

Australia is joining China with nations implementing national web censorship in a plan put forward by the government.

Human RIghts Watch has condemned the act as being “..a real danger of a Virtual Curtain dividing the internet, much as the Iron Curtain did during the Cold War, because some governments fear the potential of the internet, (and) want to control it.”

The act is intended to prevent the spread of child pornography however skeptics point out that most of that activity occurs through file sharing networks which are unaffected by this act.

The plan could be expanded to include controversial websites including euthanasia or anorexia.

Critics worry that the plan could be expanded to include countless sites with material that politicians determine to be objectionable.

Australians will not have the right to opt out of the plan as was initially suggested.

Communications minister Stephen Conroy revealed the mandatory censorship to the Senate estimates committee as the Global Network Initiative, bringing together leading companies, human rights organisations, academics and investors, committed the technology firms to “protect the freedom of expression and privacy rights of their users”.

Mr Conroy said trials were yet to be carried out, but “we are talking about mandatory blocking, where possible, of illegal material.”