[AusNOG] Lundy vs Conroy on the filter

[Mark Newton]

On 24/02/2010, at 11:14 AM, Bevan Slattery wrote:

> Interesting development.
> 
> http://tinyurl.com/ykuq9m9
> 
> I have to say, it's closer to Labor's electrion promise of an "Opt Out"
> filter.

Lundy's proposal also contains this:

> a requirement of ISPs to provide an Open Internet service as one of the Mandatory Options to Internet subscribers, 
(http://www.katelundy.com.au/2010/02/16/my-thoughts-on-the-safer-internet-group-statement/)

I find that remarkable: it'll be the first time in Australia that
the concept of an "open internet service" will be enshrined in 
legislation.  

I'm interested in seeing more of Lundy's proposal anyway.  In
particular, the form by which an ISP would need to provide the
"mandatory option."  We spend our days dealing with abstraction 
and encapsulation and know full well that the end result is 
the same whether it's implemented in an ISP's core, ISP's edge,
customer's CPE or customer's PC -- but the politicians think 
there's something magical about putting it in the core.  Could
the legislation be worded in a way which enabled ISPs to comply
with requirements for ISP-provided filtering by, say, providing
a license for CPE-based or PC-based systems with installation
support and helpdesk services?  Because that certainly addresses
all the made-up reasons the ALP had for banging on about mandatory
censorship in the first place.

Without that, her proposal doesn't address the concern that once
every ISP in the country is infested with censorware. it becomes
easy for future governments to scope-creep them.  

Because we _know_ they'll try.

  - mark



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Mark Newton                               Email:  newton at internode.com.au (W)
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