Scientology proposal to outlaw online anonymity

[arthwollipot]

The Church of Scientology has issued a proposal to the Australian Human Rights Commission which proposes to make online anonymity illegal in cases of "religious vilification", among other bizarre suggestions.

http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/09/07/0520225/Church-of-Scientology-Proposes-Net-Censorship-In-Australia
http://techgeist.net/2009/09/scientology-censor-internet-australia-criminalize-online-anonymity/

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS: Recommendation 1: The implementation of Criminal and Civil Restrictions on Religious Vilification. Recommendation 2: Restriction on Anonymity on acts of Religious Vilification: 2.1 Websites created with primary purpose of inciting religious vilification shall be removed or their access to the Australian public restricted. 2.2 Creators of websites whose primary purpose is the incitement of religious vilification shall be prevented from concealing their identity. Recommendation 3: Restriction on Religious Misinformation and Misrepresentation known or reasonably known to be untruthful in the Media Recommendation 4: Include a form of Bill or Charter of Rights into the Australian Constitution, which prevents the Commonwealth from making any law, which ‘directly, indirectly or incidentally’ prohibits the free exercise of religion to the extent of such prohibition.

[Pure Argent]

Yeah... that'll happen.

[arthwollipot]

It's not as unlikely as you might think. Not with Censator Conroy in the process of implementing the Great Firewall. We are about to join China, Myanmar and North Korea in the forefront of the race to censor the internet.

[Almo]

get your Freenet connection ready...

[Damien Evans]

It's not as unlikely as you might think. Not with Censator Conroy in the process of implementing the Great Firewall. We are about to join China, Myanmar and North Korea in the forefront of the race to censor the internet.

Cause we haven't been hearing that every day since the election without any bill being put forward...

[PixyMisa]

Cause we haven't been hearing that every day since the election without any bill being put forward...
Hearing it from the Minister for Communications, yes. While it's unlikely it will go anywhere - the government doesn't have the numbers to get a bill through the Senate on this - it's not exactly reassuring either.

[Damien Evans]

Hearing it from the Minister for Communications, yes. While it's unlikely it will go anywhere - the government doesn't have the numbers to get a bill through the Senate on this - it's not exactly reassuring either.

True, but given the current governments track record with the internet, I'm not that worried.

[MRC_Hans]

The Church of Scientology has issued a proposal to the Australian Human Rights Commission which proposes to make online anonymity illegal in cases of "religious vilification", among other bizarre suggestions.

http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/09/07/0520225/Church-of-Scientology-Proposes-Net-Censorship-In-Australia
http://techgeist.net/2009/09/scientology-censor-internet-australia-criminalize-online-anonymity/

And now to define 'vilification'.....

:p

Hans

[Pure Argent]

It's not as unlikely as you might think. Not with Censator Conroy in the process of implementing the Great Firewall. We are about to join China, Myanmar and North Korea in the forefront of the race to censor the internet.

Oh, yeah, that's going to happen.

No offense, Arth. I just find it extremely unlikely that ANY government has the power to control an entire country's internet usage. There will always be ways around it. And thy don't have the manpower to enforce it.
Case in point: Pirate Bay. No one can get rid of it, no matter how many laws against internet piracy there are.

[quixotecoyote]

Oh, yeah, that's going to happen.

No offense, Arth. I just find it extremely unlikely that ANY government has the power to control an entire country's internet usage. There will always be ways around it. And thy don't have the manpower to enforce it.
Case in point: Pirate Bay. No one can get rid of it, no matter how many laws against internet piracy there are.

There will always be a way around it for the section of the population tech-savvy enough to figure it out. The rest are more limited.

[Pure Argent]

There will always be a way around it for the section of the population tech-savvy enough to figure it out. The rest are more limited.

Where the tech-savvy people are those ages 3 and up.

I mean, seriously. Doesn't take a genius to know what BitTorrent is. I don't do it, but I still know what it is. And I'm the least tech-savvy person I know (which is kind of ironic, since I'm a Computer Science major).

[qayak]

Oh, yeah, that's going to happen.

No offense, Arth. I just find it extremely unlikely that ANY government has the power to control an entire country's internet usage. There will always be ways around it. And thy don't have the manpower to enforce it.
Case in point: Pirate Bay. No one can get rid of it, no matter how many laws against internet piracy there are.

In my mind it's not whether they will ever be able to it's, that in this day and age, a country like Australia is trying to back peddle to the dark ages along with the countries mentioned.

[Beerina]

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

While it may be a Herculean task, could someone organize a push to create/amend some kind of constitutional thing that the government is hereby not empowered to pass laws restricting the freedom of speech? Don't know how that would work for Australia, but maybe it's time, and someone can get some critical mass going.

[rjh01]

What is to stop me saying anything I like on this forum within the rules of the forum?

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

It's not as unlikely as you might think. Not with Censator Conroy in the process of implementing the Great Firewall. We are about to join China, Myanmar and North Korea in the forefront of the race to censor the internet.
Why would you do that?

~~ Paul

[arthwollipot]

Oh, yeah, that's going to happen.

No offense, Arth. I just find it extremely unlikely that ANY government has the power to control an entire country's internet usage. There will always be ways around it. And thy don't have the manpower to enforce it.
Case in point: Pirate Bay. No one can get rid of it, no matter how many laws against internet piracy there are.There will always be a way around it for the section of the population tech-savvy enough to figure it out. The rest are more limited.Of course there will. People still get access to banned websites in China. Problem is, they can be arrested and imprisoned for doing so. I'd rather that not happen here.

Why would you do that?Beats the hell out of me.

[Eyeron]

Of course they'd like to outlaw anonymity on the internet. I suspect that their motivation is so they can hunt down and sue whoever criticizes them to death in order to silence the critics.

[bokonon]

Tell you what. If they outlaw anonymity in Oz, just PM your anonymous thoughts on Scientology to me, and I'll vilify them on your behalf.

[Pure Argent]

Of course they'd like to outlaw anonymity on the internet. I suspect that their motivation is so they can hunt down and sue whoever criticizes them to death in order to silence the critics.

Duh. Did you think that there was even the remotest possibility that they had a decent motive?

[Mark6]

If I am not mistaken, Germany already has something similar -- if you post anonymous online attacks against an individual (rather than an organization, such as Scientology), that individual has the right to demand you to either remove your posts, or reveal your identity.

Which I actually think is not a bad thing, considering how lives have been ruined and people driven to suicide by anonymous Intenet slander. Now attacks on organizations, that's a different story.

[arthwollipot]

What worries me is that as it is worded, it will probably gain rather a lot of support from the Catholic Church and a number of prominent Senators and Representatives, including Senator Conroy.

And that kinda scares me.

[Beerina]

I'm thinking "illegal" satellite connections paid for via offshore accounts you maintain in another country.

Won't help your pings for Quake Sid Meiers' Kickin' Nazi Ass, but general web surfing should be free and clear, which is the issue at stake here.

[Eyeron]

Duh. Did you think that there was even the remotest possibility that they had a decent motive?

Considering Scientology, none at all.

[Marduk]

True, but given the current governments track record with the internet, I'm not that worried.

I hear they have formed a quango to find out where it is located

:D

[hgc]

Hearing it from the Minister for Communications, yes. While it's unlikely it will go anywhere - the government doesn't have the numbers to get a bill through the Senate on this - it's not exactly reassuring either.


But its proponents are not hounded out of public life by popular outrage? I thought we had it bad here.

[arthwollipot]

But its proponents are not hounded out of public life by popular outrage? I thought we had it bad here.I attended a Clean Feed protest last year. There were about fifteen of us.