The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Stephen Conroy, has previously stated that his national mandatory ISP-level filtering scheme will rely on the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for a black list which lays the foundation of what Internet content is not acceptable to the federal government.Now most Australian blogs would not be able to conceive of the possibility of falling foul of ACMA.
However, Australian blogs often contain an image to brighten up the web page or illustrate a post.
In the strange times in which we now live even the picture of a train may excite the attentions of the Australian Broadcasting Authority and Classification Board on which ACMA in its turn relies for the kernel of its URL blacklist.
Here is a classic example of why the Rudd-Conroy plan to bleach the Internet 'middle-class conservative' may go pear-shaped:
| Classification: Processing Date: | PG 20/10/2000 | OFLC No: ABA No. | T00/3317 A2000001818 |
| URL might be: | http://www.melbgraff.cjb.net | ||
| OFLC Synopsis: | "A still photo referred for classification by the ABA. The front of a train with a small amount of graffiti is pictured in close up. Text below the picture refers to the Internet Privacy Act in the USA". | ||
| Extract from OFLC Board Report: | "...This film warrants a PG classification as it contains adult themes that could be confusing or upsetting to children without adult guidance. ... The still photograph shows the front of a Melbourne train, pictured close up with a small amount of graffiti on it. Text below the picture refers to the Internet Privacy Act in the USA and has some other vague references to graffiti. There is no instruction or promotion of graffiti or any other illegal activity on this website page. Given that the word graffiti is mentioned and the front of the train is pictured with graffiti markings the Board is of the opinion that this concept may require explanation or guidance from a parent to any person under 15 years of age". | ||
What I want to know is - when did childhood turn into some weird form of psychopathology which requires an entire nation to be placed in a giant straightjacket in order for the young 'patients' to survive?
NB. My apologies in advance to Warwick County Council in the United Kingdom if my use of their steam train image sees that webpage blocked by the Great Firewall of Australia (the engine is smoking after all!)
2 comments:
You really, really, really have to be joking, right?? This a prank, right??
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How on the planet of any sense at all do you draw a line between a general PG rating classification, which is a broad reccommendation, and a RC (Refused Classification) rating is beyond me, and beyond any logical thinking at all.
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It has never yet happened in Australia, and unless you are engaging in an attempt at massive misinformation and blatant scare-mongering, you cannot suggest that a pic of a train with a logo gets you from a PG to a RC rating?
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Go get a life based on facts somewhere and then continue you blog... Pleeeeaaaasssseeee.....!
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lol
Observer,
You have missed the point.
The cited page about the train photo was an example of how ACMA and the ABA think in making determinations and, the problem with using an agency that is obviously evaluating websites as though they are all 'film'.
In addition Senator Conroy and ACMA's blacklist does not have to contain sites which carry illegal content or have an RC rating, it can contain sites which ACMA has decided 'might' possibly carry inappropriate content or if assessed 'might' possibly receive such a rating.
With (by Senator Conroy's own admission) the ultra conservative US FBI lists likely to inform the ACMA blacklist, anything is now possible.
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