Just spreading the word, Australia under the misguided leadership of the KRudd government, is planning an ISP level censorship of Australian internet. If this is implemented there could be serious repercussions for Aussie internet services:

Every Australian will recieve it, no chance to decline

Up to 79% drop in performance (can you imagin what that would be like on 56k dial-up?)

Government has given no guidelines on what they consider inappropriate, they will make decision on what is appropriate and what is not, this can include everything from swear words, pornography, violence, banned games/movies etc

Government has ability to see everything we do on the internet

If malicious users target the system they will possibly gain access to all personal information that passes through i.e credit information, personal details etc

Government can block out politically inconvenient material without our knowledge

Too much power in the hands of the government

Government is deciding what is inappropriate for the general populace

Government is deliberately trying to keep this quite to prevent protest; to my knowledge no media outlets have picked up on this

A serious blow to freedom of speech, Internet is the last medium where people can freely express themselves to the world

Will not adequately protect children and will most likely be easily bypassed by proxy services or simple encryption, many children are already doing this to bypass school/home blocked sites, similar things are happening in China to bypass the Golden Shield.

There will be no vote by the general publice, it will simply be passed unless we produce a massive uproar

Please help spread the word

Sign this online petition http://petitions.takingitglobal.org/oznetcensorship

Join this Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7968823265

Please watch and spread these videos around:

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLMI3QUfuTc

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=j23gK2r525g

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=4BbF9DJyz_Y

Add this to your sig/website

Tell others about this (For example put it in your sig, change your msn instant messenger nickname, email your friends and family etc)

write/email/call your local MP or Stephen Conroy himself

Please, every little bit helps, even if you are not Australian I'm sure you can understand how outrageous this is and be sympathetic to our cause.

Let this not be the beginning of a new Communist Australia, do not let Kevin Rudd have his way and destroy our freedoms.

More info here:

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/10/15/australians-censor-internet

http://techliberation.com/2008/07/28/australian-isp-level-content-filtering-report-released