---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 09 May 1999 12:48:24 +1100
From: Michael Baker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [EFA] Net Censorship Action Alert
Resent-Date: Sun, 9 May 1999 14:22:24 +0800
Resent-From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
========================================================================
EFA ACTION ALERT
CONTACT YOUR SENATORS AND MHR AND REQUEST THAT THEY VOTE NO TO
NET CENSORSHIP
ON 13 MAY THE SENATE WILL VOTE ON LEGISLATION TO CENSOR THE INTERNET
IN AUSTRALIA. THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY VOTE ON IT SOON AFTER.
PLEASE REDISTRIBUTE THIS ALERT IN APPROPRIATE PLACES
BUT NOT AFTER 13 MAY 1999
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This alert (with links): http://www.efa.org.au/Campaigns/alert9901.html
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SUMMARY
Please contact your Senators and Member of the House of Representatives
and ask them to vote AGAINST the Broadcasting Services Amendment
(Online Services) Bill 1999.
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BACKGROUND
The Australian Senate will vote on Thursday 13 May on a Bill proposed by
the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
that will introduce draconian measures to block information on the
Internet that is rated RC, X or R according to Australian film and video
classification standards (see below). The Australian Broadcasting
Authority (ABA) will administer this regime.
The legislation, if enacted, will require that online service providers
take responsibility to remove content that is hosted in Australia that
is RC, or X, and any R-rated material not behind an adult verification
scheme, from the Internet once they have been notified of its existence
by the ABA. The regime also provides for self-regulatory codes of
practice for the online service provider industry, to be overseen by the
ABA. These codes of practice must include a commitment by an online
service provider to take all reasonable steps to block access to RC and
X-rated content hosted overseas, once the service provider has been
notified of the existence of the material by the ABA. Many millions of
websites are likely to be blocked if the proposals are effectively
implemented.
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WHAT YOU CAN DO
To assist this campaign phone, fax or email the Senators for your State
or Territory and your Member of the House of Representatives and express
your concerns.
Note that phone is likely to be more effective than fax, and the least
effective is email. However any method is better than nothing.
You might include one or more of the following in your communication,
but please express these in your own words.
. It erodes our basic rights.
. It will give parents a false sense of security.
. It will be more draconian than the censorship of the Net imposed
by Singapore and China.
. It will make Australia the laughing stock of the Information Age -
illustrating that Australia is out of step with current world
thinking on this issue.
. It won't work.
. It will cause extensive collateral damage to Australia's Internet
industry, both infrastructure and content provision.
. Adults should be free to choose what they see and read.
. The Internet is not television.
. It is being rushed through without adequate time for public
discussion.
Please send a brief email advising of the response you receive to:
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
The feedback you provide will help EFA to further refine the Stop
Campaign.
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FURTHER INFORMATION
A comprehensive reference source on the bill is available at
http://www.efa.org.au/Campaigns/99.html
You can determine your Federal Electorate by visiting the Australian
Electoral Commission Electorate/Polling Place Search web site at
http://203.37.30.204/
Names of Senators and MHRs (with electorates) are listed in the White
Pages under Commonwealth Parliament Offices.
Senators phone and fax numbers are at
http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/sen_int.htm
Senators email addresses are at
http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/email.htm
MHRs phone and fax numbers and email addresses are at
http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/mplist.htm
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ABOUT EFA
Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc. is an association of individuals and
organisations concerned with online civil liberties. Further details
about EFA and a membership form are available by sending email to
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, or visit the EFA web site at:
http://www.efa.org.au
To receive email alerts on this and other EFA campaigns send email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
with the word "subscribe" in the body of the message.
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