Okay, where to start. The curiosities of censorship in Australia are something of an interest of mine, so I could write a book here.
http://www.tgdaily.com/games-and-en...ustralia-to-search-travelers-laptops-for-porn
That's right. If you travel to Australia, they have the right to search through your laptop's memory, as well as other electronic devices, to see if your carrying illegal types of porn.
First of all, I'm not sure if customs will actually be demanding people's laptops. The sheer scale of the task, coupled with the shitstorm sure to arise should someone's commercial-in-confidence or classified files be nicked by customs, makes me dubious. We know that people are now being informed they should declare pornography on entering Oz, But I've heard no reports of any laptop searches or seizures. I do like the Sex Party (along with the Pirate party they're the only political force in this country with any actual morals, how about that?) and will be voting for them, but it's not time to panic about this just yet.
Pornography is legal in Australia, but some fetishes aren't. Australia's is probably the only legal code in the world to contain the words 'golden showers', 'spanking' and 'fisting', making me sad I missed hearing the reading of the original bill in parliament.
Fetishes such as body piercing, application of substances such as candle wax, ‘golden showers’, bondage, spanking or fisting are not permitted.
Those are the only fetishes specifically mentioned, but like a lot of laws it's vague enough (what the fuck does "such as" mean in a legal context?) to be interpreted any which way. So really, whether you get your furry grandma foot fetish porn through customs is up to the subjective interpretations of the customs official.
Don't ask me what Australia has against fetishes. All I can tell you is that for all its supposed laid-back charm, it's a pretty uptight place when it comes to non-conforming weirdness. CF absurd and arbitrary videogame censorship, crazy internet filtering plans, and a blanket ban on female ejaculation in porn. Read up on the history of censorship in Australia, it's an illuminating and sometimes bizarre story.
Porn itself isn't illegal in Australia. All this started under the guise of stopping kiddie porn. However, the powers that be decided to attach a lot of other things (all of which are pretty subjective btw) that they deem too offensive for consenting adult to own or distribute. And of course whenever anyone challenges this, the powers that be jump back to the kiddie porn thing. So if you're against this, then you're for child pornagraphy.
Pretty much. Despite two years of reasoned objection from every section of informed society, our goobermint is plowing ahead with their godforsaken internet filter, hurling insinuations of child molestation at any and all critics. And that section of our society that can politely be called 'less informed' laps it up.
For any Australians or others who might know, will there be any sort of legal challenge to this? I know that the Sex Party is demanding an enquiry, but I'm not sure what that means exactly. I assume it doesn't necessarily mean the policy will be challenged in court.
Is there any sort of Australian ACLU or other group that would fight this?
As well as the Sex Party we've got the EFA (Electronic Frontiers Australia), and offshoot of the EFF that has consistently lobbied against our censorship laws, and some other parties are also opposed to censorship in principle: the Greens are the only ones with any electoral clout, but there's also the Pirate Party and the Liberal Democrats (basically equivalent to libertarians).
But the big impediment to fighting this shit is our total lack of a bill or charter of civil liberties. Yes, Australia is the only Western democracy to lack any legislative assurance of rights. Any rights we do have are held at the pleasure of parliament. This country's single biggest flaw, IMO.
I'm kind of confused by this. So porn itself isn't illegal. But they've added on other things besides child porn to the list of what they consider too offensive to own or distribute. You mean these things are also illegal? What exactly are these things?
Also, I don't understand why they're asking if you have porn, if porn is legal. Are they thinking that if you confess to having legal porn, you're more likely to have illegal stuff as well?
It seems to me that if you have something illegal, you'd be more likely to answer "no" when they ask if you have anything.
Yeah, I sure won't be ticking that box, I tell you. Anything they DO find on my HD I'll flat out deny it's pornographic, hence if they want to prosecute that's tantamount to declaring THEY find it sexy.
