October 17, 2008 | Online

Aussie government to censor the Internet

Living in Australia isn't going to be as much fun as it used to be. The government has introduced an Internet filtering system which will control all citizens' access to the Web.

Calling their initiative a , and costing the country $125.8 million, two blacklists  have been created. One list will block all material deemed inappropriate for children. The second list will keep “illegal material” out of everyone's hands. Australians can opt out of the first list, but everyone must have their online activity filtered through the second.

The Australian government will determine what will go on either list, and though porn is allowed (for now) other controversial issues from legalising drugs to abortion could be banned.

"The news for Australian Internet users just keeps getting worse," . "We have legitimate concerns with the creeping scope of this unprecedented interference in our communications infrastructure. It's starting to look like nothing less than a comprehensive program of real-time Internet censorship."

Perhaps they can get some pointers from the Chinese.