Conroy brands EFA anti-filter campaign a disgrace

Mar 16, 2010 3:23 PM
Filed under Telco/ISP

Questions hit raw nerve.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy yesterday attacked Electronic Frontiers Australia's anti-censorship campaign in Parliament, branding it misleading and a disgrace.

Conroy accused the EFA of supplying misleading material to Reporters Without Borders, which mentioned Australia in an report on "internet enemies" last week.

EFA has denied the allegation.

The allegations were provoked by Queensland Liberal Senator Sue Boyce after she quizzed Conroy on whether he had stifled national debate on internet filtering by "branding critics as child pornography advocates".

"Electronic Frontiers Australia have run one of the most disgraceful misinformation campaigns and have misled Australians," Conroy said.

"The material that has been supplied to Reporters Without Borders comes from Electronic Frontiers Australia, who have been challenged publicly on a number of occasions to produce a quote where I have ever said that.

"I challenge each and every one of you to come up with such a quote, because it does not exist.

The EFA republished two comments allegedly made by the Senator to that effect on its website overnight.

The activist group also said it stood by its assessment of the filter policy.

"We are aggressive in educating the public on the drawbacks of this and other policies that threaten our online freedoms, but take great pains to provide factual information and analysis to the Australian public," EFA vice chair Colin Jacobs said.

"EFA intends, as always, to stick to the facts. The many flaws of this [internet filter] policy require no exaggeration."

Jacobs challenged Conroy to produce "a solid defence of the policy that referenced any evidence, study, or reputable expert that demonstrated the filter will help Australian children."

Conroy brands EFA anti-filter campaign a disgrace

9 comments in this discussion

"Facts are facts Jack, the luddite's cracks are starting to bleed. Equally significant is the total lack of impact/reaction that two posts here have had on the rest. Like the senator some can ..."

By btone

Tags

conroy, efa, disgrace, reporters, borders, internet, filter, censor

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Comments: 9

anonymous Mar 16, 2010 3:56 PM	"Electronic Frontiers Australia have run one of the most disgraceful misinformation campaigns and have misled Australians," Conroy said. Perfectly correct, except for one small detail. The statement should have said "Conboy has run one of the. . .".
Digger11 Mar 16, 2010 4:03 PM	"Electronic Frontiers Australia have run one of the most disgraceful misinformation campaigns and have misled Australians," Conroy said. Conroy said this because it is true - those Civil Libertarians really are a rotten and deceptive bunch. Australia would be so much better off without them. Unfortunately , some of the media seems to like to promote their ratbag ideas - it often makes for great sensationalist news.
Digger11 Mar 16, 2010 4:06 PM	Jacobs challenged Conroy to produce "a solid defence of the policy that referenced any evidence, study, or reputable expert that demonstrated the filter will help Australian children." Jacobs - are you a total looney ????? The filter will certainly do no harm to children - if it protects them or not is not relevant. Typical Civil Libertarian nonsense.
zag Mar 16, 2010 4:28 PM	The whole filter is a waste of money, 40 billion dollars wasted on trying to stop kids from looking up adults sites they every kid in Australia only looks up porn sites all day long at school and home. Where's the filter that stops the person down at the local park from picking up kids to take special photos, there's none, because no one is actually interested in dealing with the people who actually go out and do this stuff. That's the main problem of this filter it's only ever about stopping child porn sites yet has expanded to cover rape sites and bestiality which isn't against the law, yet so how this filter is still blocking them. I wonder what they expand to next, seeing as the South Australian State Government made it illegal to talk/write anything about South Australian elections in any form. So would any sites that broke these SA laws suddenly be filtered as well?
Rhino Mar 16, 2010 7:59 PM	Tell me Mr conroy, how do you know EFA provided the information? Surely Reporters Without Borders are smart enough to do their own research. And yes a long time ago at the beginning of this debate you likened people who are against the filter as advocates for pedophilia. Sorry Senator, but you've failed yet again.
--Ben-- Mar 16, 2010 8:44 PM	Stalling much? The Questions On Notice are late, the legisaltion is still being drafted (allegedly), no response letters from ALP members actually answer criticisms, and as Jacobs said, there is no evidence suggesting that this policy will provide any benefits for children or society. More than two years of this debate, and no reputable evidence to support the government's case has been presented. If Conroy reckons baseless slurs against EFA is what can make up for the government's appalling track record, then it really shows how despearate they are. Remember Conroy: clearly defined problem --> solution. Not the other way around. Finally, by implication, Conroy is also accusing the following people/groups of pushing the same 'disgraceful misinformation' as the EFA: * Save the Children - a children's charity! * Google * Former Justice Michael Kirby * Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) * Nicholas Cowdery, NSW Director of Public Prosecutions * Plus many more Are they extremists?
balog Mar 17, 2010 12:43 AM	If the EFA is misleading and a disgrace. What does that make you, Mr Conroy?.
Res Mar 17, 2010 10:31 AM	Let me see.... Election leadup - We will make ISP's introduce clean-feed ISP-side net filter enabled by default to all, BUT you may opt-out by contacting your ISP. Elected to Govt (and we all know it was only because people wanted work choices gone): ahahaha you silly citizens of Australia, I lied! It is now a mandatory filter, no opt out! Now Senator Conroy, what was that you ranted about "misleading Australians" ?
btone Mar 17, 2010 5:30 PM	Facts are facts Jack, the luddite's cracks are starting to bleed. Equally significant is the total lack of impact/reaction that two posts here have had on the rest. Like the senator some can only spray so much drivel before becoming a self defeating parody brushed away from rational processes like flakes of distracting but insignificant detritus.