The Great Australian Internet Blackout

Your Internet connection will be censored

What’s this about?

Early this year, the Rudd Government will introduce a new law requiring Internet service providers to filter all Internet connections, including yours.
The stated goal of the filter is to protect children, however the filter will only serve to give parents a false sense of security. It will not block the vast majority of sites unsuitable for children, nor mitigate the other, more serious risks facing children online such as cyber-bullying.
The list of sites to be blocked will be secret, and not open to public review. It comes with no guarantees about how it might be expanded later by this or future governments.

Concerned? You can help!

Spread the word – join the blackout!

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What’s the problem?

The Federal Government is pushing forward with a plan to force Internet Service Providers to censor the Internet for all Australians. This plan will waste millions of dollars and won’t make anyone safer.

It won’t protect children: The filter isn’t a “cyber safety” measure to stop kids seeing inappropriate content such as R and X rated websites. It is not even designed to prevent the spread of illegal material where it is most often found (chat rooms, peer-to-peer file sharing).
We will all pay for this ineffective solution: Under this policy, ISPs will be forced to charge more for consumer and business broadband. Several hundred thousand dollars has already been spent to test the filter – without considering high-speed services such as the National Broadband Network!
A dangerous precedent: We stand to join a small club of countries which impose centralised Internet censorship such as China, Iran and Saudi Arabia. The secret blacklist may be limited to “Refused Classification” content for now, but what might a future Australian Government choose to block?

Help turn the lights out on the proposed Internet filter by joining the Great Australian Internet Blackout.

Join us and take action!

The Great Australian Internet Blackout is a combined online and offline demonstration against imposed online censorship. We’re collaborating with Electronic Frontiers Australia to make sure every Australian knows why this draconian policy is unacceptable.

Contact your MP »

The most important thing you can do! Bernard Keane explains how to write a great letter to your MP or Minister, and Electronic Frontiers Australia has all the contact details »

Black out your online profile picture »

Change your profile picture now to spread the word and encourage your friends to join the blackout. Over 1500 Twitter users are participating already! Need a hand? »

Black out your website during Blackout Week »

For one week – January 25-29th – Aussie websites will black out to inform an even wider audience about the threat of imposed censorship. Here’s how to do it »

Celebrate Australia Day with us! »

We will launch a nation-wide demonstration – to celebrate the freedoms Australians enjoy! – on Australia Day, January 26th 2010. Join your fellow campaigners for a positive opportunity to inform our fellow citizens and put an end to this terrible policy. Attend or organise an Australia Day party »

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Thursday, 28 January 2010