ACMA blacklist not so black?
Published March 31st, 2009 by Barney DesmondThere’s been a lot going around recently regarding the ACMA’s proposed blacklist for undesirable and illegal content. By all measures it appears to have been an embarrassment for the government (or at least Senator Conroy) and just isn’t getting any support from anyone, judging by what’s getting reported in the mass media (though I admit minimal exposure to tabloid publications). I don’t even know if the trials of this filtering technology have managed to get off the ground yet.
In case you’ve not been following, ISPs aren’t that interested in participating in these trials, many are accusing the government of censorship, senator Conroy isn’t really sure what the filtering can or can’t do, the “OMG TOP SECRET” blacklist has been predictably leaked (or has it?), and a little while ago there were suggestions the government would find a way to fine you for even sniffing a blacklisted URL.
Myles Peterson from the Canberra Times has his own little opinion piece which I liked very much for the way he’s summed things up. I’d like to borrow a quote from it:
Read the rest of this entry »