Conference for promoting net censorship

[Alex Pollard]

A conference is being organised by NetAlert, which polices the net censorship 
laws from last century. Censorship laws are now set to be expanded to include 
protest websites.

from
http://www.active.org.au/canberra/news/index.php3?article_id=167

The net censorship controversy may appear to have gone away, but moves are 
afoot. 

NetAlert is organising a conference called "Growing Australia Online 2002". 
NetAlert is a Government body with a panicky-sounding name which was 
established to enforce the net censorship laws passed last century. The site 
says 

"If you want to be part of determining the way forward to "grow Australia 
online" or if you consider that you have a role to play in determining the 
way we manage internet content and access in Australia, you should be part of 
this conference - but hurry because space is limited." 

You also need a spare $500 to get in. 

The recent agreement by police ministers that "violent protest websites" 
should be banned tells us that the net censorship debate is about to be 
restarted. The War on Abstract Nouns knows no bounds. 

http://www.couriermail.news.com.au/printpage/0,5942,5437553,00.html 

We can expect attempts to massage conference delegates in to agreeing with 
the underlying premises of net censorship. We can expect talk about "tough 
choices", e.g. Free Speech vs Community Safety. All of which will serve as a 
platform for the next round of censorship law. 

Rather than stand by and let the censorship agenda expand, activists need to 
get active. Why not, for instance, demand a Bill of Online Rights? If you're 
interested in setting up an alternative forum or simply don't like net 
censorship, please add a comment below or email me at apollard at ozemail.com.au