Late in 2008, I published the following editorial on my Oz Baby Boomers website (www.ozbabyboomers.com.au):
“Arguing against curbing child pornography is a bit like arguing against motherhood. But that doesn’t justify the sort of knee-jerk reaction being contemplated by the Federal Government, especially when it involves potentially drastic interference with the internet freedoms and independence most of us have become used to … and even more especially when the achievements will amount to virtually nought.
I may be cynical and suspicious, but we smell a rat.
“As internet publishers, we are both frightened and appalled by the Federal Government’s most likely futile exercise to curb child pornography through potentially much broader censorship of a medium that has proven to be a potent thorn in the side of authorities and mainstream (ie, print and broadcast) publishers. We believe that our readers should be similarly frightened and appalled — and that we should act to demolish these threats.”
It seems that my fears have been realised over the past few days by reports of Federal Government plans to block websites dealing with euthanasia and “other illegal activites” (see the ABC’s report (HERE)
Would — or could — a government perceive, for instance, that Greenpeace activities are “illegal” and hence block their website — and, for that matter, websites such as Tasmanian Times which publish material supporting Greenpeace?
I fear we are entering very dangerous waters.
John Rozentals
Editor, Oz Baby Boomers
