Senator Conroy says it will be mandatory for all internet service providers to provide clean feeds, or ISP filtering, to houses and schools that are free of pornography and inappropriate material.

Online civil libertarians have warned the freedom of the internet is at stake, but Senator Conroy says that is nonsense.

He says the scheme will better protect children from pornography and violent websites.

“Labor makes no apologies to those that argue that any regulation of the internet is like going down the Chinese road,” he said.

In fact, users will have to opt-out in order to get uncensored internet access.  Now, while I recognize that there is some bad stuff on the internet, I really don’t want my government determining what is and is not harmful for my kids to see online.  And, for that matter, if I discover something that I want access to has been blocked, I really don’t like the idea of having to call up my ISP and tell them I want the censorship taken off my internet connection.  Suppose, for example, that the government were to block an anti-gun-control website…I want access to it.  Now my name is on the list along with all the sickos who have gotten their filtering turned off too.  A little too “big-brother” for me.

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