One of the comments to my Smart Company column took me to task on how the Australian Communications and Media Authority compiles the website blacklist. I’ve put the comment and my reply which explains the process below.
I should also add the blacklist only applies to sites hosted outside Australia. ACMA will direct an Australian hosting serivce to take down any site rated X18+ or refused classification .
Paul, you incorrectly write that it is up the classification board to decide what is blacked out. That is incorrect as they only have jurisdiction on what is published within Australia. The blacklist is currently maintained by ACMA, so which minor public servant gets the job of surfing the web looking for something they can add (as well as responding to any ministerial hints about “unwanted” material).
If it was a transparent process, the material had been vetted against Australian standards then maybe. Or rules by a court. But not a secret list. No way.
Thanks for your comment, Richard. One of the big concerns about filtering is exactly how an appeals process or independent oversight of a blacklist will work.
ACMA refers any complaint about a website to the Classification Board. The board then classifies the site under the same system used for computer games and movies. If the board refuses classification or gives the site an X18+ rating then ACMA adds the site to the blacklist. The details are on the ACMA and Classification Board websites.
If you live in Australia, can provide a web address, and can provide reasons you think the website is prohibited under Australian law, then you can report the website to the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
If everyone reports a bogus site, they’ll have to blacklist the whole internet. You probably don’t even have to live in Australia to submit a blacklist request.
Let’s start with scientology websites, but everything is fair game imo. Did you find an article about breast cancer? What are you waiting for? Report that shiz to ACMA!
i might not have guessed this was trendy quite a few years ago then again it is surprising how time shifts the manner in which you see all sorts of ideas, thank you with regard to the blog post it is good to read some thing smart occasionally in lieu of the traditional nonsense mascarading as blogs and forums on the web, i’m going to play a smattering of hands of facebook poker, cheers