Senator Stephen Conroy’s “Clean Feed” proposition is a vote of ‘no confidence’ in law enforcement agencies and courts – and a vote of ‘no interest’ in Australian internet-based businesses and the economy as a whole. What is ostensibly presented as a measure to protect children will do more to harm the general internet population than it will to aid in the protection of children. Already we are vastly disadvantaged by disappointing telecommunications infrastructure. Internet speeds in Australia pale in comparison with other developed nations.

I do not particularly understand why a Minister – indeed the Minister “For Broadband, Communications and The Digital Economy” – would want to take measures that would result in a poorer, more restricted internet service. Former Prime Minister Paul Keating famously remarked that, “Australia is the arse end of the world.” In a practical sense we have to appreciate we are geographically removed from much of the world. The internet is a perfect tool in overcoming the tyranny of distance our physical position in the world creates. If the Minister really is committed to enhancing opportunities within the Digital Economy for Australians, he should be working to improve services and infrastructure.

From No Clean Feed:

The Government is keeping its cards close to its chest on the plan. However, we know that ISP-level filtering has been ALP policy for some time and is still being zealously pursued by the Minister. What has been confirmed so far:

• Filtering will be mandatory in all homes and schools across the country.
  
• The clean feed will censor material that is “harmful and inappropriate” for children.
  
• The filter will require a massive expansion of the ACMA’s blacklist of prohibited content.
  
• The Government wants to use dynamic filters of questionable accuracy that slow the internet down by an average of 30%.
• The filtering will target legal as well as illegal material.
  $44m has been budgeted for the implementation of this scheme so far.
• The clean-feed for children will be opt-out, but a second filter will be mandatory for all Internet users.
• A live pilot deployment is going ahead in the near future.

We cannot afford to be complacent and hope the Government knows ‘what is right’ for us. I would encourage everyone to be mindful of China’s internet policies even in the wake of the Beijing olympics (including plans to photograph all internet cafe customers). I would encourage people to be mindful of Turkey’s ban of Blogger and Blogspot. The internet gives its users a voice in ways that traditional media have failed to replicate. However, it is still governed by the laws that govern the ‘offline world.’ The problems we experience – where they occur – are supply-side issues in nature. It makes more sense to target individuals and groups who are breaking laws rather than make all of Australia suffer with error-prone filters that impede the speed and effectiveness of this invaluable tool.

In the spirit of democracy, in the spirit of freedom of speech, it concerns me to learn of reports that suggest Senator Stephen Conroy attempted to silence Internode engineer Mark Newton for having an opinion and daring to express it.

Mark Newton offered the opinion as his own, and not necessarily as that of his employer. I put my full support behind Mark Newton both as an Internet user and as a customer of Internode.

What You Can Do…
Firstly, tell Senator Conroy about your concerns. (I find the comment on his webpage troubling: “If you prefer to email the Minister please include your postal address with your communication.” Does the Senator for Broadband know how to reply to email? Or is it ‘snail mail’ all the way?) You can use the form letter template from the No Clean Feed website as a starting point.

Contact your local representative. They are there to represent YOU.

Also you might like to contact Malcolm Turnbull, leader of the opposition. Fortunately, unlike the Senator For Broadband – he actually has a twitter account: @TurnbullMalcolm

Raise your voice – blog, vlog – tell the world! Demonstrate the power of the ability to express yourself while the capability still exists! Visit NoCleanFeed.com for more suggestions including petitions and banners you can use.

I thank you as an Australian and fellow Internet user. This is too important to the growth and prosperity of this country to get wrong.