Australia to filter Internet content (some MMOs mentioned)

[Gold Rush]

Great Australian Firewall to censor online games (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/26/great_australia_firewall_to_filter_online_games/)

http://regmedia.co.uk/2009/05/26/australianfilter_sm.jpg

Must suit the 15-year-old mind

By Austin Modine •

Posted in Music and Media, 26th June 2009 00:22 GMT


The Great Australian Firewall will try blocking websites that host or sell video games not suitable for children under the age of 15.

A spokesman for Senator for Victoria Stephen Conroy told The Age on Thursday that the government's internet censorship regime will extend to downloadable and web-based games that don't meet Australia's MA15+ rating standard.

Because Australia's classification board currently lacks an adult R18+ rating for video games, games which exceed the impact of what the MA15+ rating allows are refused classification, making them illegal to sell or exhibit in the country.

Although games have historically received more lenient ratings in Australia than other countries, recent high-profile bans include Fallout 3 for depicting power-ups as syringes, tablets, pill bottles, and a crack-type pipe. The game was eventually cleared for release after modifications were made.

The government's decision would mean even Australians over 15-years-old will be unable to access websites that sell downloadable or physical copies of video games as well as those that host web-based games, The Age reports.

"This is confirmation that the scope of the mandatory censorship scheme will keep on creeping," Colin Jacobs of the Electronic Frontiers Australia told the publication. "Far from being the ultimate weapon against child abuse, it now will officially censor content deemed too controversial for a 15-year-old. In a free country like ours, do we really need the government to step in and save us from racy web games?"

The Oz government is currently undergoing a trial filtering program involving nine ISPs, expected to conclude in July or August. ®

From other sites I've read, seems like a few ISPs regarding MMOs are considering being blocked as well. The gamut seems to run from "Protect the children from these horrible horrible places" to "Protect the children from the internet and have them go outside and exercise".

[bpphantom]

Yep. Looks like Amazon, eBay, Fileplanet, Valve and several other online distribution nodes are going to be blocked.

[Plasma Wisp]

I figured this day would come. With the advent of technology, more and more Aussies are staying inside and forgoing the wilderness around them. Thier attempt is to not have a generation become apathetic to the Outback.

[Pinny]

Content not suitable to the 15 year old mind?


So are they saying everyone in australia has the mentality of a 15 year old or are 15 year olds? o.O

[bpphantom]

No, but the Australian rating system has no "Adult" rating. They stop at 15. After that you're "Not Rated" and only rated material can be sold, so you're essentially verboten if you can't get the 15 rating.

[Pinny]

lame.

[Nerfed]

I know this may seem like a controversial idea (to the aussie minds), but why don't they create an 18+ rating category? Honestly, I thought America was full of close-minded "protect the children" type idiots. If I had to live in a country that forced everyone to dumb things down to a 15 year old's level, I'd probably want to strap a bomb to my chest and blow stuff up.

[Galactoman]

Yeesh. Censorship=Bad Idea. Always.

[Poison]

I hope UnSub can post on this.

The sad truth is that the same thing is happening in Germany. Politicians want to implement an internet filter, to keep all those evil pedophile sites out. But seeing how they censor and ban movies and games here already, them blocking certain pages is not a long shot. Adult Germans were able to import their media from Austria, Swiss or England so far, but the government has actually started sueing foreign shops, which is why, for example, Amazon.co.uk doesn't ship 15+ titles internationally anymore.

[razoras]

I'm a little surprised Germany hasn't already implemented a filter. Greece has being pretty heavy handed on the games and movies level, too. All you have to do is install a tiny piece of software to get around national firewalls, though. Things like Tor or even sometimes simple proxies defeat the Chinese Firewall and have been bypassing the Iranian shutdown.

[Poison]

The thing is, censorship is forbidden by law in Germany. And there is an M and R rating (18+) both for games and movies. Yet the politicians have always found it okay to ban games, movies, music and now possibly websites, depriving adults from their right of decision.

[Xanatos]

China has recently started to do something similar. Although they're not bothered by the rating as much as they are the value of in-game currency. I'll see if I can find a link.

[Galactoman]

It's terrifying to see otherwise civilized countries becoming so controlling about their media.

[Gold Rush]

Well, not sure if Xan meant this article here on China's attempt to control Gold Farmers (http://www.massively.com/2009/06/29/new-legislation-in-china-outlaws-gold-farming/), but there are certainly other examples China tries to do controlling it's internet usage within it's own country; most of the control mainly blocks out sites that have any percieved anti-chinese governmental stance.

( Below is a long-winded and probably dry summary of bigger issues with analysis. So, just warning you. Easy to skip if you are so inclined.)


Actually, it may be hard to pin-point one reason, but if I move the "lens focus on this control outward", so to speak, I see this is part of a new set of problems. It's too much micro-management all around. Cities and countries have gotten in on the idea of control, much like, for example, companies and their products (Music companies would fit the bill). I think partly, they see not only a revenue stream (they tax you on more stuff) but also they feel, "in this day and age", that they should control things in general. It is not really one guiding vision to "rule their own domain/countries", but arises out of many issues that tend to grow big...like weeds.

Take the issue of drinking water. In the past, many of us in developed countries took this for granted. Drinking water generally comes from your water faucet and is not that expensive cost-wise (it is covered by your taxes), but now, a few corporations are looking to (in essence) BUY the rights to SELL drinking water and are working hand-in-hand with some local and state/country/federal governments. To my knowledge, this has yet to really happen full-scale in the United States, but has happened elsewhere. The outcry is immediate. But, if you can try to envision "their side" of things, you see a government (local or nation) that listens to what this corporation says and nods it's head, thinking not only will they make more money (from the corporations paying usage fees) but they don't have to maintain their water supply.

Am I going off-topic? Not really. Take that same attitude and say, "Well, if we can control such cheap utilities in a new way, what else?" You have "micro-management" coming into vogue, because "macro-management" has pretty much been covered, at least in the minds of those in government. Take this example : Wal-Mart LOVES to squeeze it's pennies. One tactic they do is pack shipping trucks in such a way, every nook and cranny is filled. That way, more items are delivered at one time, saving some money. Multiply that by many trucks over many deliveries, it becomes "big money". I feel this same approach is enveloping "ruling bodies". Now for our example, let's take "Red Light cameras": Before, you used to have police men monitoring intersections and doing the labor, now, you get a ticket in the mail. While both the merits and faults can be argued, my main point of bringing this up is that the city has now simplified it's money-making and control of the populace to a degree it prefers.

I feel this attitude has even gone into such internet controls, to a degree. It is a bit like the old question, "Don't these housewives have anything better to do with their time rather than picketing "so-n-so"?" But you have senators and their ilk, listening to such concerns (being very voter aware) and imposing new controls that are "easy to implement" but do not make exemption for details. So you have a "Nationwide net ban" that is draconian. The senators feel good about their efforts, since it was "so easy" and become emboldened to do more. I also think this is the case with the Bush-wire tapping scheme. Of course, one could say Obama is too busy, and this would be true (imo), but why haven't they yanked out those info-gathering rooms in AT&T? Thing is, they haven't and speculation leds me to believe that since it is there, just leave it in place. This is for many reasons, political, etc. not just to keep a network that listens in on convos in place. But since "it is already there" why remove it? The country leaves it and likes that "control" and moves on. Perhaps other countries feel the same way.

It is hard to challenge and keep challenging this sort of thing, because like I said, it is "easy" for them to put in controls but very hard for citizens to take up a cause and make their voices heard consistently. You can bet one side in favor of the Aussie ban has talked into the ears of their representatives, but not so much ther other side; the gamers or the ones that may be affected by it? Will they go to the Aussie government and be heard? Can they stem this change, especially when there may be yet another law to pass (the aforementioned 15+ age of consent bbcphantom/loli brings up)? Many laws are built on the shoulder of these pre-existing (and often outdated) laws. Maybe a change of tactics to go at that particular source is needed.


(Again, apologizies for something very dry and detailed. But those that read it, hope it gets you thinking. :) ).

[FrostyPox]

Crimethink. It's doubleplusungood.

[Poison]

Nice 1984 reference, Frosty.

[Gold Rush]

German crowds protest violent games ban

by Mike Smith

Authorities in Germany have long been renowned for their strict policies on violence in video games, but a recent tightening of standards has sparked a noisy -- and public -- backlash.
Germans Protest Anti-Counterstrike

http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/ga/buzz/feature/vg21/german-protest_300.jpg
You've got to fight the powers that be.

The moves reportedly came as a response to a spate of German school shootings, some of which were linked to violent first-person shooter games like Counter-Strike. Multiple local German governments have apparently banned any public display of these so-called "killer games" -- and numerous organized Counter-Strike competitions were canceled as a result.

Frustrated and upset, German gamers have been taking to the streets in their hundreds to protest the move, GamePolitics reports.

The first protest -- which saw as many as 400 gamers marching through Karlsruhe -- will be followed by additional marches in Cologne, Karlsruhe and Berlin later this month.

You know...in a way, it is "good" to see this in other countries, because IMO, I feel America and the American public gives this too much "air time". I mean, sometimes I feel we are the "only ones" in the world to raise this kind of folks that are against gaming.

But, of course it is "bad" because this kind of opinion is now becoming too widespread throughout the world. Enlightenment needs to be spread to the masses.

[Poison]

The problem with this is, I've been hearing about this protests from foreign news, first on Kotaku. It happened no 2 hours from where I am and the media here never picked it up.

And just to add this, not only do politicians want to ban violent games, they want to make development of those games punishable by law. So you work on an FPS in Germany, you go to jail. And that makes me so angry about those blind idiots, especially when the city of Ontario only just made a 200 mio $ deal with Ubisoft for them to open a new studio there.

[Gold Rush]

The problem with this is, I've been hearing about this protests from foreign news, first on Kotaku. It happened no 2 hours from where I am and the media here never picked it up.



This is very strange and disturbing. It could very well have been a "slow news day". A darker element could be, if you are a conspiracy theorists, the German government could be behind this as a PR stunt to promote their legislation...or some "Mothers against Violent games" group that wants to urge on such legislation.

And that "developing violent Video games within Germany" IS a stupid rule. What about games OUTSIDE Germany? Are they going to stop importation of such? If so, I can't see the Video Game Making community at large being happy with this; They may make their own journey to the Germany Government, because this would affect sales in Germany of their products.

Byt still, there are many ways to bring games in, even with bans. Then there are TV and movies. Let's face it : All around the world, the "Genie is out of the bottle" in regards to "violence". One has to face it and not "put their heads in the sand" like this. Heck, am I wrong to assume there is still (young) people following a Neo-Nazi movement in Germany? If you take games, Movie, and TV media away, you still have the "inspiration" of books and history for this particular group and those like them.

And even taking away all that, you still have the evening news and just general discontent with their lives and wanting a better position for themselves with them blaming immagration for workers taking their jobs. If there are no "stress-relief" mechanisms available, like a video game, people will find their own stress relief with a baseball bat and unknowing victims in this regard.

[Graphite]

What facist bull****!
:mad: