On the 'Clean Feed', and R18+ Games.

Like many young, internet literate Australians, I am opposed to the 'Clean Feed' being proposed by the Rudd government. I've been looking at Twitter, and am seeing that I'm not the only one. #nocleanfeed is #4 on the 'Trending Topics' list.

Today, Sen. Conroy made a statement in which he stated that "[t]he Government will introduce legislative amendments to...to require all ISPs to block material rated Refused Classification...RC-rated material includes child sex abuse content, bestiality, sexual violence including rape and the detailed instruction of crime or drug use."

Before anyone says it, I find child pornography reprehensible, and I believe that child abuse is the most sickening crime any person can commit. It is not my aim, by opposing the Clean Feed, to make child pornography more accessible to paedophiles. To say otherwise is simply untrue.

Censorship is not the right option. This is what the 'Clean Feed' is. It is the Federal Government, via ACMA, telling me what I can and cannot see on the internet.

This includes pages that instruct people how to commit crimes, as stated today by Conroy. This sounds fine, in theory, but it means that I would be unable to access websites on euthanasia. Additionally, abortion remains in the Crimes Act of many states. Does that mean that someone seeking family planning advice online would be unable to? What about a woman in Victoria seeking information online, given that abortion has been removed from the Crimes Act in this state? What about the websites seeking names for those people willing to commit civil disobedience in order to protest the appalling lack of political will on climate change? What about websites such as Wikileaks, which publishes leaked documents? The thing I find scariest about this are the unanswered questions.

Some of the material blocked in the trial run included such dangerous material as "lingerie", "adult", and "gambling", according to one source. Given that gambling is legal, as is being an adult and wearing knickers, how does the Government or ACMA justify blocking these sites?

Ranting on blogs and Twitter isn't going to do anything. You need to write (as in physically write) a letter. It's very easy to hit 'Delete'. Don't abuse the politicians. State calmly that the 'Clean Feed' is something that you are opposed to.

On another note, today the Government called for submissions on the proposal to allow R18+ games in Australia. These are currently RC, and are unavailable to buy unless they are edited - see Left 4 Dead 2. Again, this is about the Government and ACMA telling me what I can and cannot see. As we allow R18+ movies and television shows to be sold in Australia, why the double standard with video games?

Kudos to Rudd - get the Twitterverse and commentariat riled up over the 'Clean Feed', and hopefully everyone'll miss the public statement saying that submissions are now welcomed on the issue of having an R18+ classification on video games.

More later as the story develops,
- Amy

P.S.: As a Greens supporter, I handed out fliers for Clive Hamilton in Higgins, knowing that he supports (and is, in fact, one of the leading voices for) a 'Clean Feed'. This Crikey article, written by Hamilton, is one example. I don't think that this is hypocrisy. I think that the Greens are the party that best represent my views on most issues. I don't pretend to be in mental lock-step with each and every other Greens supporter and politician.