Banned hyperlinks could cost you $11,000 a day

General Topics
1

The Australian communications regulator says it will fine people who hyperlink to sites on its blacklist, which has been further expanded to include several pages on the anonymous whistleblower site Wikileaks.

2

Well, it will, as far as the writ of Her Australian Majesty’s government will run.

3

And I always thought Australia was a democracy ???

4

It is … it is also a constitutional monarchy.

Just like Canada - they both have the same head of state.

5

No Bob we’re not democracy :stuck_out_tongue:

6

Poor you… :slight_smile: ;D

7

I suspect that Australia is at least as democratic are we are in the US. Here we are permitted to choose between the candidates that have been bought and paid for by the corporate interests that control the political process. Surely you in Australia are not oppressed by a lesser process? You changed the party “in control” at your last general election … as we did a bit later.

8

It’s not a question of democracy rather censorship: democratic governments also censor.

9

My original point in response to the original post (and let me add - not wishing to offend the Australian members of this forum or my many Australian relatives) was that Australian decisions get reported widely in the English speaking world because Australia is an English speaking nation.

However, in terms of population and global impact, Australia has a population about the size of Romania (in a European comparison) or of the state of Texas (in a US comparison). I also note that one of the larger ISPs in Australia is totally owned and controlled by a Singapore based entity.

So, I was suggesting that that a decision made by the Australian government, reported at the start of this thread, is likely to have a very limited impact globally.

10

New “ideas” are often tested where there is very limited impact in case it turns out to be highly unpopular. Then it will be “sugarcoated” till everyone is accustomed to it, then the “sugarcoating” will no longer be needed. The “idea” won, deal with it! :cry:

11

I think this highly overcharged position of the Australian regulator is not something I, the rest of the world or in eventual reality Australian citizens will need to worry about - let alone get over. The efforts at government censorship in Australia are being more and more challenged in Australia both by citizens and the incumbent network providers.

12

You give us a trade for Stephen Harper?

13

So far, they’ve never told me to ‘shut up’ and I have plenty to say. ;D