Category Archives: filtering

Internet filtering

DIA revamps Internet filter Code of Practice

The Department of Internal Affairs have released a new version of the Code of Practice (PDF) for their proposed Internet filtering system, as well as the initial membership of the Independent Reference Group (PDF).

Independent Reference Group (IRG)

The initial members of the Independent Reference Group are:
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Poll Shows NZers Against Internet Censorship

Stuff is running a poll about Internet censorship next to an article about the Australian plans to censor the Internet. While online polls aren’t very statistically valid, I was still heartened to see the results:

Should New Zealand censor the internet?

  • 13% – Yes, just like we censor films & TV.
  • 61% – No, it’s against free speech.
  • 26% – No, it’s a waste of money.

A total of 87% of the 1964 people who voted were opposed to Internet censorship.

All we need to do is filter the Internet

Compare:

Judge David Harvey told the seminar that internet providers (ISPs) should be set up specifically to block suppressed information and issue “take-down” notices to those who had posted it. “Internet content can in fact be managed and controlled. It is a question … of how far we want to go to do that.”
‘Alliance’ needed to enforce name suppression online, Stuff.co.nz

And contrast:

Seeking to deny the protesters a chance to reassert their voice, authorities slowed Internet connections to a crawl in the capital, Tehran. For some periods on Sunday, Web access was completely shut down — a tactic that was also used before last month’s demonstration.
Iran chokes off Internet on eve of student rallies, Yahoo News

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R v Internet – Third Session

Law Commission Review of Suppression

Warren Young, Deputy President of the Law Commission, started off the afternoon sessions by talking about the Law Commission’s Suppressing Names and Evidence report (PDF).

General principles:

  • Open justice unless this would result in injustice.
  • Bill of Rights Act – freedom of expression. But reasonable limits as can be justified in a free and democratic society.

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Law Commission Demands ISPs Filter the Internet

Updated: see our update to this post.

Sometimes it seems that every day there is another threat to people’s abilities to use the Internet. Each special interest group has their own barrow to push, often with honourable intent, that causes them to make impossible or unreasonable demands.

Today’s effort is from the Law Commission. They’ve published their Suppressing Names and Evidence report and it includes the following (recommendation 26 from the report, page 66, PDF):

Where an internet service provider or content host becomes aware that they are carrying or hosting information that they know is in breach of a suppression order, it should be an offence for them to fail to remove the information or to fail to block access to it as soon as reasonably practicable.

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