| 
          
         | 
        
          
            <<  
             ^ 
              >>
          
          
            
              
                Date: 1999-10-05
                 
                 
                Wieder Zensur/anlauf in AU
                
                 
-.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- 
                 
                
      q/depesche  99.9. 
 
Wieder Zensur/anlauf in AU 
 
Content Provider, die "verwerfliche" oder für Minderjährige  
"nicht geeignete"  Sprache verwenden sollen in Australien  
künftig von Strafe bedroht sein. So will es der "Broadcasting  
Services Act" und die für das Internet zuständige TV- 
Aufsichtsbehörde [sic].  
 
-.-. --.-  -.-. --.-  -.-. --.-  -.-. --.-  -.-. --.-  -.-. --.-   
For those interested in what governments keen on rating  
speech can come up with in the way of criminal law, here's  
the latest from Australia. 
 
Australian State & Territory Govs. are currently considering  
draft model legislation involving criminal penalties for  
users/content providers who speak in a manner deemed  
"unsuitable for minors" or "objectionable" (rated R, X or  
Refused Classification). This is one tier of the Broadcasting  
Services Act regime - Commonwealth regulates ISPs and  
Internet Content Hosts under BSA/blocking regime,  
States/Territories enact "complementary" legislation to  
regulate users/content providers. 
 
The proposed legislation criminalises material online that is  
not illegal offline in Australia and requires users/content  
providers to, in effect, rate their speech by  
guessing/foreseeing how a majority of the members of the  
government Classification Board would rate it. The Board  
would/will effectively become a jury but without the need for  
unanimity. Criminal penalties will apply to those who made  
available material "unsuitable for minors" or "objectionable"  
either knowing it was so, or if they were "reckless", i.e. were  
"aware of a substantial risk" that the material "would be"  
rated R, X or RC. To make matters worse, text on web pages  
is to be rated using exisiting guidelines developed for movies,  
rather than those developed for offline publications..  
 
For info about numerous flaws in the proposed legislation,  
see EFA's submission in response (being sent to all 8  
State/Territory Govs).  
http://www.efa.org.au/Publish/agresp9909.html That contains  
a 2 page Exec Summary, followed by detailed info. 
 
Those interested in the finer detail of how "rating" speech  
operates in Australia may find the case study in Appendix 1  
of EFA's submission either amusing or horrifying, or both. It  
contains my attempt to classify the first chapter of a best  
selling Australian novel, "Eat Me" by Linda Jaivin, using  
guidelines for films.  (The first chapter became "Internet  
content" recently). 
 
Incidentally, some of you may have heard about Cyberpatrol  
banning the entire web site of San Francisco's independent  
Booksmith in Height-Ashbury because they put the -cover- of  
"Eat Me" on their web site (the cover of the US edition had  
bananas and plums on it).  Linda's story about this is at  
http://www.efa.org.au/Campaigns/bananas.html
                   
 
One hopes the State/Territory Govs. will gain more sense  
and not enact this tyrannical proposal, but I wouldn't count on  
it. 
-.-. --.-  -.-. --.-  -.-. --.-  -.-. --.-  -.-. --.-  -.-. --.-   
relayed by 
Irene Graham <rene@pobox.com> via gilc-plan@gilc.org 
  
-.-  -.-. --.-   
BIG BROTHER AWARDS AUSTRIA 1999 
Fuer Lauschangreifer, Spitzelfirmen, Datenhaendler,  
gestzlich ermaechtigte Ueberwacher 
Reichen Sie Ihre Nominierung ein: 
http://www.bigbrother.awards.at
                   
-.-. --.-  -.-. --.-  -.-. --.-  -.-. --.-  -.-. --.-  -.-. --.-
    
                 
- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- 
                
edited by Harkank 
published on: 1999-10-05 
comments to office@quintessenz.at
                   
                  
                    subscribe Newsletter
                  
                   
                
- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- 
                
                  <<  
                   ^ 
                    >> 
                
                
               | 
             
           
         | 
         | 
        
          
         |