The Internet Filter

The proposed implementation of an Internet filter goes beyond politics – it’s now something important. It concerns our freedom, and frankly I feel let down that practically nobody else cares. What Stephen Conroy wants to do (if it’s really his idea) is not to eliminate child pornography, but take down our capabilities for discussion and thought.

He may say it’s about preventing child pornography, but he knows it won’t work. The official investigation into the system even told him that “A technically competent user could, if they wished, circumvent the filtering technology.” But he just keeps going, like a newborn puppy repeatedly smacking its head into a wall. And the wall is breaking. If child pornographers haven’t been caught yet, what’s to stop them finding a way around the filter – ways that don’t use Internet browsers, for example? Or does Stephen Conroy not know what he’s talking about, in which case, why is he talking about it at all? Far from stopping them, the filter will force them to take to more secluded means of communications, thus making them even harder to apprehend. Why not go after them now? After all, the websites are claimed to be visible, aren’t they? Is nobody looking for the child pornographers at all right now?

I also notice they are banning anything with women appearing to be underage, because it will “encourage paedophilia”. You know what else it encourages? An illusory desire of self-image. And instead of going to such extreme lengths to do something so unproductive, why not, oh, I don’t know, go off and attack the latest Disney High School Princess film? No, that doesn’t encourage paedophilia in the slightest, with their nubile, soft, cherubic bodies rubbing all over the screen. Not at all. That brings in money, you see, and makes everyone stupid and passive enough to easily govern – so of course it’s alright.

But if the filter were only about child pornography I wouldn’t be so incensed. According to the Australian Classification Board (ACB), they’re also banning pornography with urination. Why, do they think it encourages urination? Abominable, I know! But since I’m not a urination fetishist, you’d think I shouldn’t care. Wrong. Because it’s not just urination – any pornography refused classification by the ACB will be banned. Refusing classification in itself is problematic. What they’re doing is discouraging deviancy. We all know where that leads, or do I need to spell it out for you? First this, then slowly every single piece of non-standard pornography will be banned. Then they’ll stop it completely, keeping it for themselves, no doubt. Wankers!

They say that this filter will stop people “accidentally stumbling upon” offensive material. This should not even be a consideration. For one, this is a very rare occurrence. Not many people, to my knowledge, have been directed to genital mutilation while watching videos of dogs licking each other. Also, who cares if they do see these things? Such behaviour exists in society. Deal with it. And if this is a measure to protect children, then it should be known that parents can do that themselves. There’s plenty of software available to filter material deemed inappropriate to children. But, for fuck’s sake, we’re adults, aren’t we?

What they’re doing about pornography is not only ineffective but also highly irrelevant. They know so. They don’t care about the porn. It’s all a giant cover for everything else they’re planning to block. Oh yes, didn’t know that, did you? By making such a huge deal out of pornography (and, let’s face it, who wouldn’t be drawn to pornography first?), they make people ignore the real issue. The fact is that when they talk about material that has been “refused classification”, they don’t just refer to pornography. Yes, this includes instruction and promotion of crime – but what it also includes is any sort of depiction and discussion of illegal things. This is problematically vague, managing to include under it euthanasia, drugs, graffiti and potentially abortion: anything controversial. Discussion also encompasses satire, which is perhaps the biggest challenge to any institution of power. Taking away satire is striking an immeasurable blow against freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom in general.

Don’t think. Look at some dancing cats. Go back to the television. Buy our plates and eat our news. Did you read that properly? Anything controversial. In other words, anything they think is or can be dangerous to them. Anything that stops dissent, anything that stops thought.

I don’t want to seem like the paranoid conspiracy-shouter – alright, yes I do. After all, a paranoid is just someone who has the facts. It’s not a conspiracy if it’s actually happening. What they’re doing is setting up a medieval dictatorship. This isn’t a scare tactic – scare tactics are what governments use to make people think something’s more than it really is. This is real. And nobody cares.

Sadly, there’s nothing for us to do but sit back and take it – wait, what am I talking about? Of course there’s something we can do! There’s always something we can do. There’s fucking plenty we can do. Show them we give a damn. Write to them. Call them. Flood them with rebuke. Oppression leads to revolt. If enough people get angry, they will do nothing. Just watch them. They’ll drop their weapons and flee.

The Internet is a powerful tool, and people don’t realise that. “Everything is deeply intertwingled,” in the words of Ted Nelson. Absolutely everything. It contacts an unimaginably vast quantity of people instantaneously. So it won’t take very long for Mr. Fitler – sorry, Filter – to spread its pus-infested horror across the entire country. Less than a second for us all to be under their control. And then it will be much harder to do anything about it. So, while you still can – START THINKING and START CARING.

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