A new program has taken effect in Australia that bans cannabis and other drug related websites from viewers there. Supposedly 10,000 websites made it on to their preliminary ban list, icmag.com being just one.
This ban is easily side-stepped by using proxy servers. So if you're in Australia and are having access problems, try using a proxy.
For more info on Australia's Internet Censorship read this wiki article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_Australia
As you can see it's not just drug related sites that are being banned. There is no Free Speech guarantee in Australia, so there's not much for Aussies to do about it, except to get their legislators to pass a new law.
This new labor government seems to be just as conservative as John Howard's...
UPDATE: from wikipedia link above:
674 out of 1370 blocked sites on the mandatory list relate to child pornography; 506 sites would be classified as R18+ or X18+, despite the fact that such content is legal to view in Australia (note this is down from 10,000+ websites supposedly on the original list).
On 11 February 2009 a new filtering trial was announced, initially with the ISPs iPrimus Telecommunications, Tech 2U, Webshield, OMNIconnect, Netforce and Highway 1. Testing with each ISP will take place for at least six weeks once filtering equipment has been obtained and installed, and iPrimus expects the trial to begin in late April or early May with five or ten thousand participants. The trial will be opt-in, with ISPs asking for voluteers, although all WebShield customers already receive a filtered service. None of the top three ISPs, Telstra, Optus and iiNet, have been included in the trial, although iiNet expects to be involved at a later time.
If this is the only remaining National internet filter in Australia, one that is opt-in at the user level, then no one should still have a problem accessing this site in Australia, unless your mom opted-in on your behalf!
This ban is easily side-stepped by using proxy servers. So if you're in Australia and are having access problems, try using a proxy.
For more info on Australia's Internet Censorship read this wiki article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_Australia
As you can see it's not just drug related sites that are being banned. There is no Free Speech guarantee in Australia, so there's not much for Aussies to do about it, except to get their legislators to pass a new law.
This new labor government seems to be just as conservative as John Howard's...
UPDATE: from wikipedia link above:
674 out of 1370 blocked sites on the mandatory list relate to child pornography; 506 sites would be classified as R18+ or X18+, despite the fact that such content is legal to view in Australia (note this is down from 10,000+ websites supposedly on the original list).
On 11 February 2009 a new filtering trial was announced, initially with the ISPs iPrimus Telecommunications, Tech 2U, Webshield, OMNIconnect, Netforce and Highway 1. Testing with each ISP will take place for at least six weeks once filtering equipment has been obtained and installed, and iPrimus expects the trial to begin in late April or early May with five or ten thousand participants. The trial will be opt-in, with ISPs asking for voluteers, although all WebShield customers already receive a filtered service. None of the top three ISPs, Telstra, Optus and iiNet, have been included in the trial, although iiNet expects to be involved at a later time.
If this is the only remaining National internet filter in Australia, one that is opt-in at the user level, then no one should still have a problem accessing this site in Australia, unless your mom opted-in on your behalf!
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