[AusNOG] Australian Censorship program to go ahead - Gillard supports a the great firewall

[Bevan Slattery]

Hi Phil,

 

I have to agree with your view.  As an industry we are all really upset
by this, but yet we do nothing substantial about it.  The Internet
industry has access to every single eye-ball that access the internet
here, yet we do not seem to harness the power that provides.

 

Additionally, as an industry we must become more understanding of the
international reputational damage has been caused by recent policy
decisions by the Australian Government.  Filtering and Mandatory data
retention being the two (2) most damaging.

 

With the Web becoming 'the Cloud' these impacts are going to become more
apparent.  After years of fighting to get major content/caching delivery
networks to establish clusters here in Australia my recent discussions
at ITW with some of the larger content providers was starting to reflect
a change in mood.  Over the past 5 years bandwidth costs to establish
clusters in Australia was the problem.  That (to a large degree) has
been resolved.  But the issue that is raising it's head is that content
providers no longer see Australia as a rational and safe place to store
user data.  They see the decisions of the Australian Government as a
Sovereign Risk compared with other Governments within our region.

 

It is entirely likely that unless Australia develops a users "Bill of
Rights" around privacy and a less totalitarian regime to access user
data (like the good old days when you used to need a court order from a
Magistrate), then I fear that substantial content networks will continue
to shun Australia as a major hub for application and content delivery
(other than mere dumb/algorithm caching).

 

I actually agree with the principle of keeping some user data
(authentication etc.), however numerous law enforcement agencies have
continually eroded the right to natural justice by the introduction of
closed evidence, uncontestable evidence, obtaining information without
warrant signed of by independent third party capable of understanding
justice (being magistrate) and more concerning retaining this data will
also mean this information is now open to discovery in non-criminal
matters and data matching/profiling and abuse for
personal/commercial/political gain.  ***See David Campbell in NSW***.
The continual scope creep into more powers for law enforcement agencies
directly correlates with the erosion of natural justice and the rights
of individuals.

 

I honestly think the focus should be on a citizens online rights,
particularly surrounding privacy.  That is the great challenge of this
decade and actually the digital era.  Because those organisations that
wish to respect these rights will not host those content and
applications in this country.

 

What are we going to do?

 

[b]

 

 

From: ausnog-bounces at lists.ausnog.net
[mailto:ausnog-bounces at lists.ausnog.net] On Behalf Of Phillip Grasso
Sent: Wednesday, 7 July 2010 8:11 PM
To: ausnog at ausnog.net
Subject: [AusNOG] Australian Censorship program to go ahead -
Gillardsupports a the great firewall

 

labor Prime minister Gillard supports Internet censorship, 

 

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/filtering-legislation-on-t
he-way/story-e6frgakx-1225889109550

 

By all likelihood due to inaction by us and the technology community, we
will be paving the way to a censorship regime in Australia by this year.


 

I am interested to know who in the ISP community is supporting this
plan? Obviously someone is talking to Conroys office, I don't think
he'll still try to go ahead without the support of the big boys? (or is
there back room deals going on with NBN?)

 

 

 

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