ACMA confirms blacklisting WikiLeaks

1 Apr 2010, 7:09 pm   -   Source: Lisa Zilberpriver, SBS
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A spokesperson for ACMA told SBS pages of WikiLeaks content had been blacklisted. (WikiLeaks.org)

A spokesperson for ACMA told SBS pages of WikiLeaks content had been blacklisted. (WikiLeaks.org)

Protesters gagged themselves in Sydney to protest a planned Web filter, as ACMA confirmed it has blacklisted parts of whistleblower site WikiLeaks.

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Protesters from Australia's Pirate Party have gathered in Sydney to demonstrate against the government's planned Internet filter.

Around 30 demonstrators organised a 'flash mob' style performance, symbolically gagging themselves.

"This is the sort of censorship you would expect of China or Iran,and it is being roundly condemned by the US State Department and Google for good reason," a Pirate Party statement said.

A press release from the Pirate Party also expressed outrage that the Australian Communications and Media Authority had allegedly blacklisted whistleblower website WikiLeaks.

ACMA confirmed that it had investigated pages on the WikiLeaks site - which publishes documents otherwise kept secret by governments and organisations - and said it had blacklisted them.

A spokesperson for ACMA told SBS that the organisation does not blacklist entire sites, only specific pages. He could not discuss what content the blacklisted pages contained.

"Talking about material on the blacklist gives clues to people to go and look for it on the Internet," spokesman Donald Robertson said.

Robertson said WikiLeaks had not been notified about the blacklisting of its pages, as ACMA could only issue take-down notices to Australian based sites. wikiLeaks is hosted by a Sweden-based company.

Simon Frew of the Pirate Party said he had been misled by an article on TechRadar.com, which claimed Australia had blacklisted the entire website.

The claims came shortly after controversy was sparked when WikiLeaks staff were allegedly tailed and detained by US spies in Iceland. The US State Department has yet to respond to the allegations.

Iceland this week summoned the most senior US diplomat stationed in the country to explain the events.

No information on the outcome of the meeting was available.

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julian assange

pete the pirate - from sydney australia, 1 year

watch out for the c.i.a. dirty tricks department ; america thinks it rules the world and dictates to other countries to do their biddind. their w2hole economy is built on war and armenments and are a vicious and cruel race whose only desire is to rule the world.they caused the 2nd world war by raping germany in 1919 with woodrow wilson' 19 point peace plan thereby bringing about the rise of national socialism and the nazi party ,then by blockading japan .read john hersey's total war.

Teacher

Jenny - from Sydney, 1 year

Why is it okay to censor truth but not so censor child pornography on the net.

No Title

Georgia - from Sydney, 1 year

How dare they. This government should be ashamed of itself. They say we get the government we deserve. Corruption and self serving individuals are one thing but their lack of ability and lack of intelligence is astounding. Cunning as rats.

Are you made

P - from Cairns, 1 year

F*** off with the censorship, have you become dictators? are you not an elected government!

ACMA

bingo - from Adelaide, 1 year

This patently puts the ACMA into a very difficult position. There is no 'child porn" or established illegal material (established as in - proven in court -) on Wikileaks, yet these clowns still put it on the list. No wonder we are fighting tooth and nail to stop this filtering. Governments simply cannot be trusted to do the right thing; again using the abuse of children for political ends. Shame on you people, absolute damning shame.

NWO

jaro - from Perth, 2 years ago

Keep cool govrnment must do what is told.It makes no difference who is elected.Democracy is just the word. Australia is ruled today under maritime law.

Idiot

al clark - from sydney, 2 years ago

Senator Conroy makes me ashamed to be a human being far less an Australian

Mad as Hell, if we want to live in China we would move there

Daniela - from Melbourne, 2 years ago

What the HELL are they doing. I don't live in CHINA, or do I... If I want behaviour that equates to bully boy activity I would move to a country that regulates every aspect of my being. Who is this Government to tell me what I can not read, or view... Who do they think they are? Not funny nor happy.

Linking to blacklist content

Dave - from Melbourne, 2 years ago

Oh, great. Nice one Mark Newton. Now that you've linked this page to a page that has a link to blacklisted content, it means this page is going to be blacklisted too now. In fact, because this one is hosted in Australia it'll get a take-down notice or face fines of $11,000 a day. At least we don't have to worry about Australia's unemployment rate; imagine how many people will be required to work for Conroy's "Ministry of Truth"?

it won't just be the leaked blacklist that's banned

james - from Australia, 2 years ago

@Mark Newton I'll bet that the latest wikileaks video is RC, it shows people being killed and in the past that's been enough
http://www.itwire.com/opinion-and-analysis/whiskey-tango-foxtrot/36904-i-am-muzzled
@L. I assume you think the liberal party is left wing if all there is to a political party is its name...

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