Media Censorship in Australia - Essay Example

? Media Censorship in Australia – An Analysis Brief introduction of impact of internet to traditional media The term Internet con s a specific setof protocols –called as the Internet protocols namely IP/ TCP. Internet has changed the way of life and the way to carry out the business and the style of communication. It has become an international source of information of billions of people at school, home and work. The main reason for the exponential growth and development of internet is mainly because at it offers better and efficient techniques and guidelines for accessing the contents of the web through image, text, video and sound. Further, as it is offering multiple communication channels, and also transforms the world of business, the marketing styles and creates a new style of commerce. The facility to access the internet through mobile has made it more a convinient form of communication. As of date, many nations are witnessing with high Internet penetrations as the customary newspaper reading and traditional TV-viewing have fallen down considerably. In the late 1990s, the Internet users were of the view that the trustworthiness of on-line information as being analogues to the other information media viz. radio, magazines and televisions. Johnson and Kaye (1998) research study disclosed that Internet users considered on-line political information as more trustworthy than that of customary media counterparts. According to Bucy (2004) study, students were of the view that online and television news as more creditworthy than adults’ viewers. Johnson and Kaye (2004) study exposed that blogs were graded as more trustworthy than customary media sources as interviewers opined that blogs offer more depth and clear analysis than other media outlets. (Stacks & Salwen 2008:394). According to Internet World Statistics (2007), the Internet is today found to be used widely in Asia by 460 million users, in Europe by 338 million users and in North America by 235 million users. About 90% of Internet users are young people in many nations, including Asia, North America, Europe and Australia and New Zealand. Today, school kids around the world are the busiest users of the Internet. (Anheier 2008:633). is now widely used by the government and business for their Internet on-line e-commerce and e-government transactions , there has been significant developments in Internet law-making and policy , there has been basic transformations to Internet governance , the consolidation of the internet for the popular culture and entertainment , the embedding of Internet with the contemporary identity , the changes in the media like on-line news , Internet’s impact in relationships , love , communication and desire. (Goggin 2002: 2). Why Internet is a new media environment? The 15th century media was the printing press, the 19th century had brought broadsheets, and 20th century brought radio, TV and the Internet. A new media may come into existence in the 21st century with all its permutations and parameters. Today, from neighbourhood to large companies are enjoying the ease and the speed of the Internet to create support for their objectives. Due to the Internet age, now companies are able to evaluate their public relations strategies in real dollar terms like revenue and sales. Today’s media is comprised of lap tops, cell phones with Internet accessing facilities, televisions, and digital camera. (Duhe 2007:2). The notion of mediated communication evaluates the public relation demeanours that happen through some varieties of mass media technologies like the Internet or televisions. J.E Grunig (2001) placed interpersonal and mediated communications are the two ends of the analogues’ aspect. Sha (1996) was of the view that dividing the mediated with that of interpersonal dimension was more proper. (Duhe 2007:9). Internet is regarded in the creation of contemporary Australian identities, and the dawning acknowledgement that Australia is one of the many nation benefited from the Internet as what Marcia Langton is of the view that the Internet facilitated Australians to have easy access to the global market that makes them with more bargaining power, and young Australians have now become as cyber-citizens and able to network with neitzens around the world. The group like Australian Computer Society and the Internet Society of Australia is playing a dominant role in designing the future of the Internet in Australia. Internet Regulatory Arrangement in Australia The Australian government announced in 2010 that major Internet providers in Australia namely Primus, Optus and Telstra, which accounted for around 70% of the broadband Internet market, have agreed to go for voluntary filtering system, mainly to obstruct the publication of child abuse material. The filtering is mainly against Refused Classification (RC) which includes bestiality, sexual abuse imagery, and sexual violence, detailed description about violence, crime and use of drug and or material that preaches about the terrorism. (Levin 2010:46). The network infrastructure in Australia is wholly owned by private sector, though, in 2004, the Australian government owns a 50% shareholding in the corporation, namely Telstra. The Internet operations in Australia are being governed by a variety of regulations’ bodies and Australian laws. The most important one is the Telecommunications Act 1997, and the most important governing body is the Australian Communication Authority. (ACA).The ineffectual content-associated restraints on ISPs and consumers are administered by the Australian Broadcasting Authority. The deficient privacy laws to bear on the Internet matters are being implemented by the Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner (OFPC). There are many other Australian laws, which have express or incidental effects on the Australian Internet, including some provisions of Crimes Act, which tries to proscribe online gambling services. (Goggin 2002: 2). The Present Internet Industry in Australia At present, Australia has a major Internet infrastructure backed by a classy marketplace of telcos, retail and whole-sale Internet service providers. (Goggin 2002: 2). The most significant effect of the Internet on the economy of Australia is that it establishes an international market for the supply of products and services. The Internet has facilitated the Australian industry to compete in the international market. For instance , Halfbrick Studios from Brisbane due to its game software namely “ Fruit Ninja” which has been downloaded more than 350 million times and is earning more than $1 million per month in revenue . “Real Racing “and” Flight Control: is the most popular application marketed by Firemonkeys of Australia. It is alleged that the growth of online business in Australia is being impacted by the open ended fair-use right. (Smith 2011:3). Over-regulated will cause lack of media freedom Web censorship means the active proscription of citizens from accessing a given type of web content. Australia has introduced censorship on the contents available to children through the Internet. According to Moyle & Owen (2009), young kids and teenagers have agreed that the Internet, and the mobile phone are very significant tools for their learning and social lives. According to Australian Communications & Media Authority (ACMA) (2009), about half of the Australian children over the age of 12 own a mobile phone. According to Green & Hannon (2007), school-aged kids around the world are using mobile phones and the Internet for sending messages, to access social networking sites, to upload videos and photos, and to make effective contribution in the wikis or blogs owned by their friends. According to Ofcom (2008), kids are using the Internet widely to download movies, music, photos, video clips, to play online games and thus use the Internet both for educational and recreational objectives. However, the Internet may be used by kids for accessing the bad contents also which may impact their moral standing and conduct. Hence, there exist moral conundrums and dilemmas for the policy makers and the educators to deny the access to the kids to such negative and bad elements in the Internet. (Wolfe 2010:388). Internet –associated risks are generally known as threats to children which include the peril of exposure to sexually unsuitable content; vulnerability to intolerant or negative attitudes and beliefs ; contact with strangers ; cyber-bullying; and access to unwanted and unsuitable contents. Hence, in Australia, to save the school kids from accessing to obscene contents, filtering are being used, which is a software to obstruct particular files on school servers. Filtering can be employed by the URL-blacklisting and through port blocking. (Roberts & Diane 2008). In Australia, government schools employ on-line filter content compulsorily while the private schools, particularly Catholic schools have preferred to employ self-regulations on their students’ on-line demeanour instead of employing automated electronic filters. Thus, the private schools in Australia appreciate behavioural expectations and clear values of students and encourage the use of voices of students to influence their mentor’s demeanour in the online atmosphere. (Moyle 2012:405). Start (2008) found that unintended outcomes witnessed from filtering is banning of wanted and clean contents along with those unwanted contents. It is alleged that the Internet filtering system is not effective as student with strong technological background is able break or navigate around the filtering system. Further, the filtering system creates negative impacts like slowing down the speed of the Internet and is often seen by the students and teachers as restrictive in nature. Now, students are widely using iPad , iPod and other mobile phones to access the Internet thereby facilitating students to bypass the jurisdiction’s or schools’ filtering mechanism. (Houghton-Jan 2010:26). Recent proposals of media regulation in Australia (Stephen Conroy's proposal). Stephen Conroy, during his political campaign, who is the shadow Minister of Employment, Communications, and information technology of Australia, released a proposal of an exhaustive cyber-security plan buttressing the importance of a law which is intended to safeguard kids from harmful or pornographic materials. The proposal compelled the Internet service providers (ISP) in Australia to filter their contents from a negative list issued by the ACMA. (Australian Communications and Media Authority). Immediately, after the 2007 election, the Labor Party introduced its plans for kid’s online safety programs. Kevin Rudd, the present Australian Prime Minister even allocated over 128 million dollars for child online safety programs and for the cyber security. However, in recent days, the present Australian government started to filter all contents which are generally regarded as undesirable including unsafe contents for children. Thus, the Australian government presently engaged in filtering program thereby making inappropriate or illegal content completely unreachable. Aggrieved by this new censorship, online petitions are being filed throughout the Australia to eschew this censorship and government’s action has received the universal criticism for the Rudd’s government’s strangulation of the Australian press. (Ziccardi 2012:273). Earlier, Internet censorship in Australia was based on the complaint –oriented system where the details of obscene web sites have to be forwarded to AMCA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) which was later known as ABA (Australian Broadcasting Authority). The Internet Censorship is being governed by the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online Services Law) of 2000. Prohibition will be made only after an investigation is made on the basis of the complaint received. However, such prohibition can be made only to Australian ISPs and will not cover any R18 contents hosted by any foreign servers. The Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act of 1995 has established the classification system. When content has been observed to be obscene, and if it is hosted in Australia, the AMA issues the take-down order to the ISP hosting the same thereby advising that the material will have to be removed. However, if the content is hosted by a non-Australian server outside the Australia, then the AMCA continues with the technological filtering of the obscene content. (Ziccardi 2013:276). The Gillard government’s preparations to control the Australian media witnessed stiff opposition from various corners. Critics argue that the Bill will impact every Australian, and it contravened the rights like freedom of speech offered under the Australian constitution and facilitated the government authority to intervene and regulate the media which is regarded as an open attack on the freedom of speech , investment , innovation and job creation.(Benson & Gemma 2013). Conroy’s schemes for media regulation are being criticised as a de-facto licensing scheme for the media and a basic challenge to freedom of Australian press. If Conroy’s proposal implemented, a Public Interest Media Advocate who is appointed by Australian government will have control over the Australian press council. Critics argue that Stephen Conroy’s plan to compel the Internet service providers to censor their content, which is meant for all Australian citizens, will not result in any productive results and millions of dollar is going to be wasted on such a program. Critics have alleged that Conroy’s new Internet censorship program will not prevent the children from accessing and seeing the bad or inappropriate contents like X and R rated websites. Further, they allege that Conroy’s censorship scheme is not intended to stop the spreading of prohibited material where it is most frequently found in peer-to- peer file sharing or in chat rooms. It is alleged that the ultimate consumer will have to pay high for the broadband Internet services in Australia due to Conroy’s media censorship program as already millions of dollars had been spent by the Australian government to test the filter service by ignoring the high-speed service providers like National Broadband Network. It is argued by the critics that Australia is going to join a small club of nations, which inflict Internet censorship through centralised basis like Saudi Arabia, China and Iran. Though the secret blacklist may be restricted to “ Refused Classification “ as of date but there is no guarantee that there is a chance for the future Australian government may impose the same permanently to all contents . Conclusion The Internet may be used by kids for accessing the bad contents also which may impact their moral standing and conduct. Hence, there exist moral conundrums and dilemmas for the policy makers and the educators to deny the access to the kids to such negative and bad elements in the Internet. (Wolfe 2010:388). Start (2008) found that unintended outcomes witnessed from filtering is banning of wanted and clean contents along with those unwanted contents. No doubt, the present Australian government effort to censor obscene Internet oriented content which are harmful to kids is to be lauded but critics are more concerned about the lack of transparency what tantamount to “inappropriate and harmful “contents. Further, critics wanted that there should be a transparent review and appeal system for ACMAs blacklisting procedure. The Australian government should divulge its aims for Internet censorship and should permit more open public discussion of issues concerning the Internet censorship policy. Further, critics have alleged that internet censorship in Australia may result in violations of Human rights, which is guaranteed by the International Human Rights Act for which Australia is a signatory to such covenants. (Ziccardi 2013:274). There has been a vehement protest against the proposed censorship of media in Australia. Critics have called for joint action against the government proposal by asking the public to turn their online profile pictures and their website to black as a sign of protest against the Australian government initiative. Critics have cited the incident what had happened in 2009 in New Zealand where many Internet users in New Zealand turned their online profile pictures and their websites into black as a protest against the proposed “guilt upon accusation” copyright law. This strategy has made media to bring the copyright/ the Internet/ online rights issues to the public awareness that would otherwise will go unnoticed. Yielding to the strong protest by the public, the New Zealand government decided to review the re-evaluate the entire bill and thus, the media was success in bringing the light of the issue to the public. Opponents have asked the Australian citizens to follow the tune of New Zealand citizens’ way of protesting against the Australian government’s policy of implementation of compulsory Internet filtering policy footed upon the secret blacklist. Protestors of the Internet censorship in Australia have asked Australian citizens to demonstrate their online protest actions to augment the awareness of the issue and to assist them to make good fight offline. (Internetblackout.com 2013). Instead of introducing filtering the Internet, cyber-safety education program should be introduced by the present Australian government and parents and kids should be educated to avoid improper Internet contents and to remain safe through online. Australian government should increase its policing efforts of peer-to-peer websites where kids’ sexual abuse materials are being published. Australian government should introduce technical measures as part and parcel of the online safety initiatives. (Saferinternetgroup2010) List of References Anheier H K, Isar YR, & Paul, A. (2008). Cultures and Globalization. The Cultural Economy. New York: SAGE Bensen, S & Jones, G. (2013). High Court Threat as Stephen Conroy is facing defeat over proposed media reforms. [online] available from [accessed 5 April 2013). Duhe, S C. (2007). New Media and Public Relations. New York: Peter Lang. Goggin, G. (2002). Virtual Nation: the Internet in Australia. Sydney: New South Publishing. Houghton-Jan, Sarah. (2010) Chapter 4: Internet Filtering. Library Technology Reports 46 (8), 25-33. Internetblackout.com (2013) The Great Australian Internet Blackout. [online] available from [accessed 6 May 2013] Levin, Jane. (2010) Internet Censorship: The Debate Rages On. Screen Education 59, 46. Moyle, K. (2012). Filtering Children’s Access to the Internet at School. [online] available from http://www.icicte.org/Proceedings2012/Papers/10-3-Moyle.pdf > [accessed on 6 May 2013] Roberts, Lynne Diane. (2008) Cyber-victimisation in Australia: Extent, impact on individuals and responses. Tasmanian Institute of Law Enforcement Studies Saferinternetgroup. (2010). Core Principles for Effective Action for a Safer Internet. [online] available from [accessed 6 May 2013]. Smith, Stuart T. (2011). Videogames for independent living: A novel approach to telehealth. Telecommunications Journal of Australia 61, 3. Stacks, D W & Salwen, M B. (2008). An Integrated Approach to Communications Theory and Research. New York: Routledge. Wolfe, Sylvia, and Rosie Flewitt. (2010). New technologies, new multimodal literacy practices and young children's metacognitive development. Cambridge Journal of Education, 40(4), 387-399. Ziccardi, G. (2013). Resistance, Liberation Technology and Human Rights in Digital Age .Sydney: Springer Read More