• “Introduced on Thursday, the bill--titled the Communications Legislation Amendment (Crime or Terrorism Related Internet Content) Bill 2007--would empower the federal police to alter the "blacklist" of sites that are currently prohibited by the Communications and Media Authority.
  
  The list currently includes pornography and "offensive material." However, under the amendment, federal police would be able to add other sites to the list, including content that the AFP Commissioner "has reason to believe...is crime- or terrorism-related content."
  
  The definition of material that may be liable for censorship includes Internet content that "encourages, incites or induces," "facilitate(s)" or "has, or is likely to have, the effect of facilitating" a crime”

This is quite shocking to hear as it’s a small step in the wrong direction. What will be deemed offensive and unacceptable in the future? Freedom of speech and freedom to publish is the very essence of the Web. Will this movement eventually halt file sharing websites? Or, for example, would a site like StickerNation have been blocked as it promoted illegal activities?

Perhaps the most shocking part is that this is in Australia. Coming to a democracy near you real soon.

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