Week 10 Lecture

Week 10

This week was spent talking about the internet filter and online safety. 'Here in Australia, three telecommunications companies – Telstra, Optus, and Primus have said they will introduce one to block child porn and it will have no impact.' (1)

It is referred to as the clean feed. There is a site protesting against this clean feed by saying:

-The filter will do almost nothing to prevent the people who are willfully making, trading, and accessing child sexual abuse material.
-The filter will not prevent children from accessing inappropriate material.
-The list of material to be banned includes much more than child sexual abuse material.

So if for instance facebook and youtube was included in this banned list what would happen? My 3 main reasons for using the web would be facebook, listening and downloading music and for academic research. If this filter illuminated 2 of my primarily reasons for using the net, it would not be fun. It would only be used for work. And as i generally don't enjoy work, it would be associated of a academic tool and used only when necessary. Also if facebook was banned, i do honestly think i will die. Or at least have to attend rehab of some sort.

China
Dont move there. They have no facebook.
Apparently china 'had already prohibited the use of YouTube and every Google service such as Gmail, Google Apps and Google Talk (all modes of communication) weeks ago. Two of the most popular social networking websites are the latest victims of media control.'
Now facebook and twitter have been prohibited too!

In this way the government has control over what people see from the outside world. They are limited by the media to live in a way the government wants them too. This is good in some ways, bad in others.
'Perhaps they believe that such an action will contain the reports or discussions of the riots or stop them from happening completely.'


The relationship between In-Q-tel and facebook?
In-Q-Tel of Arlington, Virginia, United States is a not-for-profit venture capital firm that invests in high-tech companies for the sole purpose of keeping the Central Intelligence Agency equipped with the latest in information technology in support of United States intelligence capability.
So pretty much its like the CIA. It is a very clever way of keeping track of things, but really creepy for facebook users. I can't believe it!
Look at this: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Inqtel/107816819251423
It really is connected with facebook.

What is the Government's plan?

Minister Conroy has announced that he will introduce “mandatory ISP-level filtering of Refused Classification (RC) –rated content.”¹

• The filter will be based on URL filtering of a blacklist of between 1,000 and 10,000 URLs.
• The list of URLs will be based on the current ACMA blacklist, and will be supplemented by lists from international organisations (probably IWF).
• RC computer games will be excluded from mandatory filtering until the completion of the R18+ review.
• Additional funding will be available to encourage ISPs to offer voluntary filtering systems.

References
1. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/362341/internet_filter_remains_alive_well_conroy/
2. http://nocleanfeed.com/
3. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/internet-filter-wont-protect-kids-20100708-102ap.html
4. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/08/government-finds-uses-social-networking-sites
5. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Inqtel/107816819251423