South Australia Implements Internet Censorship On Political Speech
South Australia has become the first Australian state to implement internet censorship, targeting political speech that may be negative towards the Government.
As on January 6, 2010, it has become illegal in South Australia to post political comment online in that State regarding the coming State Election unless that person provides their full name and postcode.
Local media reports that the law applies to blogs and media sites, and may also apply to Twitter, Facebook, and even talkback radio.
South Australian Attorney General Michael Atkinson, best known across Australia as the man alone continues to block R18+ ratings for computer games, told the ABC that the move (and we’re not making this up) is about ensuring the public’s right to know “who’s making a comment during an election period.”
Previous state and federal laws in Australia have required those writing to newspapers to be identified, but those laws have never extended to the internet, or mediums such as talkback radio.
What the South Australian Government hasn’t explained is how they would enforce this law: while local media companies would be forced to comply, the law only extents to comment made in South Australia, a state that’s hardly very well know for web hosting. Whether such laws would extend to comment made by a resident on a site hosted outside of South Australia isn’t clear from reports, but it certainly wouldn’t extend to non South Australian residents.
Sadly for residents of South Australia, the laws were passed with the full support of the Opposition Liberal Party, giving voters limited choices at the ballot box.
