Australia to block all P2P?

Australia to block all P2P?
The Australian government has said today that new technology could be used to filter all P2P traffic.

Broadband Minister Stephen Conroy added, "Technology that filters peer-to-peer and BitTorrent traffic does exist and it is anticipated that the effectiveness of this will be tested in the live pilot trial."



The controversial censorship plan was originally believed to be for restricting certain Web traffic and internationally-hosted content that did not fall under Australian regulation.

On the Digital Economy Future Directions blog launched by Conroy earlier this month, the replies to the plan are very critical.

"I'm aware that this proposal has attracted significant debate and criticism – on this blog and at other places in the blogosphere," Senator Conroy noted.

The filtering proposal as a whole has made headlines since its first appearance and there were even protests around Australia earlier this month.

Please read the full blog post here:
Minister Conroy on: Promoting a civil and confident society online

There are over 300 comments already, with a solid majority being very critical of the plan.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 23 Dec 2008 3:34
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  • 52 comments

  • ivymike

    I guess Australians won't be getting any Linux distributions for Christmas :(

    23.12.2008 05:32 #1

  • xnonsuchx

    I refuse to use the word "blogosphere" ever. Oh crap! OK, unless I'm quoting it! ;-)

    23.12.2008 07:55 #2

  • wolf123

    Originally posted by ivymike: I guess Australians won't be getting any Linux distributions for Christmas :(

    Why is that linux is free they said they are blocking p2p and you don't get linux well I mean you can but you also can get it directr download from sitres it depends on what version.

    23.12.2008 07:56 #3

  • emugamer

    Wow...interesting article. Total control is scary.

    23.12.2008 07:58 #4

  • rrrev

    Stephen Conroy,you are a *.

    23.12.2008 08:23 #5

  • kyo28

    But what about the abduancy of legal P2P? Some online games don't rely on dedicated servers but on P2P. So gamers in Australia will be prohibited from playing these games? As usual, politicians don't look further than their noses.

    23.12.2008 08:35 #6

  • emugamer

    I hope he listens to the comments on that blog of his. There are so many things wrong with his idea on so many levels. More money needs to be devoted to social programs and the police force to crack down on stuff like child pr0n. Not on limiting what people can see. If it's on the internet, then the act has already been committed. Spend more money on preventing the act in the first place.

    23.12.2008 08:46 #7

  • lantrix

    Originally posted by rrrev: Stephen Conroy,you are a wanker.
    I second that!

    23.12.2008 08:48 #8

  • tropolite

    Today censorship/blocking like the Chinese government.
    Tomorrow Communism like the Chinese government? Go Labour!

    How ridiculous - Whatever happened to 'rights'.

    23.12.2008 09:26 #9

  • oappi

    Well i bet vpn providers will be getting few deals from australia when this shit lauches.

    It is totaly useless to try to block any content at internet someway or another ppl will get what they want unless you shutdown "internet" on your good nation. Granted not everyone has know how to use vpn, but there will be more providers like strong vpn (dont know if it is good never tried) who gives you step to step guide with pictures so you can´t do it wrong.

    23.12.2008 09:33 #10

  • ZippyDSM

    Welcome to teh future, HEIL!!

    23.12.2008 10:55 #11

  • hammy1111

    Every one should retaliate by not buying their products and bankrupt the dirty bastards.

    23.12.2008 13:13 #12

  • emugamer

    Originally posted by hammy1111: Every one should retaliate by not buying their products and bankrupt the dirty bastards.Whose products? The Australian Govt's? If you're an Australian Citizen, it wouldn't be a good idea to bankrupt your own govermnent, even if there was a way.

    23.12.2008 13:58 #13

  • windsong

    Never gave much thought to the "mark of the beast" crowd. Didnt even know what it was until I wiki'ed it and..now I aint laughing at the Christians anymore. :(

    Scary times.

    23.12.2008 14:11 #14

  • DVDdoug

    Quote:Broadband Minister Stephen Conroy added...I guess it's a bad sign if your country has a "Broadband Minister".

    23.12.2008 14:35 #15

  • philraz

    As if the internet in Australia isnt bad enough slow uploads,overpriced, many Aussies unable to access highspeed connections due to pairgain and rims, a hardware inferstructure that Noah bought with him on the ark and now this Moron wanting to decide what is "safe" for us to view and download online

    23.12.2008 14:36 #16

  • attar

    Nice country Australia - not enough Politicians swinging on the lampposts though.

    23.12.2008 14:50 #17

  • pensfan12

    This is why i really hate living in this country sometimes.

    23.12.2008 17:05 #18

  • kingy1213

    why o why did i vote 4 Labour... i kinda want jonh howared... :(

    23.12.2008 17:05 #19

  • joe777

    And when companies start sueing the ISP for disrupting their legit traffic? Then individuals sue for disrupting their legit transfers? Better put my coat on. I feel a storm brewing!!!

    23.12.2008 18:08 #20

  • Warfare

    Bunch of commie bastards we should be demonstrating in streets over this what a infringement on free speech next we wont be able to demonstrate at all.

    If it gets any worse ill quit the army and start saying for liberty along with throwing Molotov cocktails at government buildings along with everyone else.

    23.12.2008 18:11 #21

  • avoidz

    Australia reaffirming its position as the broadband backwater of the world.

    Overpriced, slow, controlled by the monopoly known as Telstra... And now this horsesh!t from our elected idiots.

    23.12.2008 19:20 #22

  • gozilla

    Quote:The Government takes the issue of cyber-safety extremely seriously and welcomes public debate about how we can achieve our goal of protecting children from harmful internet content. We wouldn't have set up this site (or published negative comments on it) if we were trying to close down discussion.Oh man, please stop with this stupid "Oh won't someone please think of the children" mentality.

    If your going to block P2P networks and Bittorrent at least give me the REAL reason you doing it.

    Furthermore, if you read the article, it has much more negative implications than just blocking of file sharing networks. The ability to screen all traffic and block out anything that the Central Committee, oh sorry, I meant the Labour Caucus, deems inappropriate for us poor children.

    Quote:Welcome to teh future, HEIL!! HEIL indeed.

    23.12.2008 19:30 #23

  • avoidz

    Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is the "Manchurian Candidate".

    23.12.2008 20:01 #24

  • gozilla




    BIG BOTHER is WATCHING!!, well apparently. He looks asleep on the job if you ask me.

    23.12.2008 20:02 #25

  • jutsu

    so will this also block other P2P app like Winny, Share, PerfectDark?

    btw its not just australy that have overpriced internet. in my country, 1Mbps download (in reality about 50KB/s), 128Kbps upload (in reality about 8KB/s), unlimited plan. is about 85USD.

    24.12.2008 01:07 #26

  • borhan9

    It will be a sad day if we get strong p2p laws that are not nessasarry.

    24.12.2008 02:07 #27

  • Colzz

    Originally posted by rrrev: Stephen Conroy,you are a wanker.agreed

    24.12.2008 02:56 #28

  • BDL1991

    Is it too late to ask santa for a gun?

    24.12.2008 04:00 #29

  • slothier

    I live in country South Australia. I have an OPTUS mobile. According to the Govt. I should have Broadband and a good signal for the mobile. I don`t. And I`m only 90kms from Adelaide. And these tossers in Govt. expect us to believe them when they say our civil liberties and privacy will be protected with this latest piece of Government masturbation? . So sad. The inmates in the monkey cage at Adelaide Zoo may listen to our political leaders but how can any sane hard working Aussie? There is a good reason why I haven`t voted since I was 19 yo. (I`m 50 now) If you ACTUALLY believe that any of these wankers in power will really do any good for the normal bloke then I wish I had some of what you are on. To coin a phrase from Trainspotting..........we were colonized by wankers.

    24.12.2008 07:00 #30

  • jay4

    these guys haven't got a hope in hell of blocking/filtering P2P successfully anywhere. every ISP in this country has approx 90% of P2P as their cash cow. they would all go broke in 3 months flat!
    it's just Big Bro waving the Big Stick one more time.
    their just blowin' in the wind lol.
    regards
    jay4

    24.12.2008 07:32 #31

  • fanman480

    You see? This is what we get when the public vote in a new government who have been out of power for so many years, and the new Labor government has a weak kneed, inexperienced puppet for its leader who then goes and picks a bunch of no hoper fools such as this mindless idiot CONWAY, sorry, CONROY, who has no idea of what is going on around him, let alone in cyberspace. The Labor government said in its election promises that it was going to clamp down on illegal downloads using P2P networking. As far as i can remember, I don't ever recall them telling us that they were going to run this country like a bunch of bloody communists or nazis. In fact I would go so far as to say Conroy is your classic Internet Nazi, and an idiot to boot. As others have said, why not concentrate all this money and resources on things like child pornography instead of having an unwavering need to totally control our lives. At least I have a clear conscience in that I didn't vote for this pack of dickheads at the election, the reason being that, unlike what seems to be the majority of my fellow countrymen, I remember the total uselessness and damage Labor did to this country last time they were in power, 17% interest rates on home loans for example. They have no idea now, as in the past, on how to manage money, people, money, the internet, money, anything. Get a life Conway and do something useful instead of trying to control our every thought and action you twit.

    24.12.2008 07:36 #32

  • tompsp

    Originally posted by rrrev: Stephen Conroy,you are a wanker.I third/fourth that. I lost count.

    24.12.2008 10:01 #33

  • fanman480

    Originally posted by jay4: these guys haven't got a hope in hell of blocking/filtering P2P successfully anywhere. every ISP in this country has approx 90% of P2P as their cash cow. they would all go broke in 3 months flat!
    it's just Big Bro waving the Big Stick one more time.
    their just blowin' in the wind lol.
    regards
    jay4    I do agree with your thoughts as per P2P being their big cash cow, but then you could also have a situation where those sly internet nazis in our piss weak, moron filled, single cell life form of a government whooping for joy at the prospect of Don'tUseTelstra having even more control over our ISP's that use Don'tUseTelstra exchanges and equipment because those bastards in canberra would do anything to see our glorious telco, (with an american at the helm), get greater proffits and even force any non complying ISP's out of the market. Bloody pollies, they've got their stinking fingers in everything and up their arses.

    24.12.2008 11:25 #34

  • fanman480

    Originally posted by ZippyDSM: Welcome to teh future, HEIL!!Velcome to ze land of Oz ya, Heil Conway, sorry, Conroy. Ze minister finally haz ze final solution. I am vaitink for ze firink sqvad und gasingz to stat on ze P2P uzerz.

    24.12.2008 11:30 #35

  • lantrix

    Quote:Velcome to ze land of Oz ya, Heil Conway, sorry, Conroy. Ze minister finally haz ze final solution. I am vaitink for ze firink sqvad und gasingz to stat on ze P2P uzerz.Now whenever we hear Conway, ahem... Conroy speak we can scream "Schulllltz!!"

    25.12.2008 01:52 #36

  • mickas

    Without P2P we don't require 12gb+ a month accounts so the ISP's loose out and I suppose the government lose out too. Do you think they realize that?? They just can't do it. But i am sure we will find a way to bypass it ;)

    25.12.2008 20:40 #37

  • jay4

    Originally posted by fanman480: You see? At least I have a clear conscience in that I didn't vote for this pack of dickheads at the election, the reason being that, unlike what seems to be the majority of my fellow countrymen, I remember the total uselessness and damage Labor did to this country last time they were in power, 17% interest rates on home loans for example. They have no idea now, as in the past, on how to manage money, people, money, MAAAAANNN you've got no idea!
    i was paying off a mortgage under the Labor govt @ 17% on a lousy storeman wage, and i still managed to put money in the bank.
    under the money grubbing liberals @5% you need 2 wages coming in and if young mum does'nt work your out in the street. THINK ABOUT IT! the only reason those mongrels balanced the books, was due to all the GST we gave them(now Labor will balance the books the same way lol)
    regards
    jay4

    25.12.2008 21:44 #38

  • Colzz

    my ISP is totally against it.. iinews/internet-filtering ...on ya iiNet!! I hope everyone is writing to their member of parliment.

    27.12.2008 18:32 #39

  • ZippyDSM

    http://www.p2pnet.net/story/17996
    The UK is moving forward on net censorship plans


    Net censorship is pointless, altho if high net was cheap and the default censored mode can be turned off its not such a bad thought...but....... a force censored net is bad....

    27.12.2008 18:56 #40

  • garmoon

    Seems like the whole world is going to get "CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN, BUT DON'T WANT" LMAO



    "Remember some people are alive simply because it is illegal to shoot them"

    28.12.2008 00:40 #41

  • ilikasip

    If it happens, I for one will no longer need the internet Mr Conray, Conway, Conroy, oh! who gives a shit. Presently I can say this, but for how long will I have my free thoughts and speech, Comrade?

    29.12.2008 05:37 #42

  • Mez

    Jay4 what have you been smoking? Haven't you read the news? This has already happened in Japan, New Zeland and France. It will get easier everytime a new country falls under RIAA control. They will be able to do anything they what to do to you. Even if you eliminate the scum that did this to you you will never get rid of those laws.

    The plan seems very well thought out. I would start blasting your elected officials. Demand to know how much the RIAA paid them to propose such a law. It is surely not in the public interest. Now you know the labor party is anti public. Next they will be raising taxes and who knows what else? The RIAA has stopped litagation because that did not work. This is how they are spending their money killing P2P a country at a time.

    29.12.2008 08:57 #43

  • jay4

    Originally posted by Mez: It will get easier everytime a new country falls under RIAA control. They will be able to do anything they what to do to you.

    The plan seems very well thought out. I would start blasting your elected officials. Demand to know how much the RIAA paid them to propose such a law. It is surely not in the public interest. Now you know the labor party is anti public.     GET REAL MAN! RIAA are just a crock of shite. even a single little ol' lady over in the USA beat these turkeys. not even the recording artists ever believed in those wankers. as for doing anything over here? i'm still laughing my head off. consumate snowballs including the paranoia schizo's that believe these guys. lol
    regards
    jay4

    30.12.2008 04:40 #44

  • Mez

    Yes, they are a CoS. Yes, they are morons. Still, they have enough money to make their own laws. Once the laws change you will not be fighting those mindless hacks you will be up against pros. I know of 2 experiments that took place one in the US and one in England. 1 eliminated torrents the other eliminated P2P. Both experiments lasted for about a month. No AD member breached either experiment that I know of.

    A guy in Japan posted something on an invisable net and had police at his door in less than 24 hrs.

    ISPs are concerned with cash flow. That is probably why the experiments only lasted a month. The ISPs were experimenting to know what they could do if they wanted to. The ISPs will comply with the letter of the law. However, I suspect they will turn a blid eye twords other technologies as long as they do not clog their system.

    30.12.2008 07:29 #45

  • rlessmue

    Originally posted by Mez: Yes, they are a CoS. Yes, they are morons. Still, they have enough money to make their own laws. Once the laws change you will not be fighting those mindless hacks you will be up against pros. I know of 2 experiments that took place one in the US and one in England. 1 eliminated torrents the other eliminated P2P. Both experiments lasted for about a month. No AD member breached either experiment that I know of.

    A guy in Japan posted something on an invisable net and had police at his door in less than 24 hrs.

    ISPs are concerned with cash flow. That is probably why the experiments only lasted a month. The ISPs were experimenting to know what they could do if they wanted to. The ISPs will comply with the letter of the law. However, I suspect they will turn a blid eye twords other technologies as long as they do not clog their system.
    ================================
    I agree. Welcome to the new "speakeasy", where a ISP will set-up a "back-door" for a few dollars... :)
    If you don't know what a "speakeasy" is...from wikipedia.org..."A speakeasy was an establishment that surreptitiously sold alcoholic beverages during the period of United States history known as Prohibition (1920–1933,[1] longer in some states), when the sale, manufacture, and transportation (bootlegging) of alcohol was illegal. The term comes from a patron's manner of ordering alcohol without raising suspicion — a bartender would tell a patron to be quiet and "speak easy"."
    ==================================
    ...so does anyone know how to set-up a "ISP speakeasy"??
    Cheers!

    30.12.2008 16:22 #46

  • jay4

    hello Mez!
    i understand where your coming from.
    at this moment i'm file sharing with a New Zealand guy.
    Labor won't have the guts to do anything but blow in the wind.
    RIAA are and always will be a joke down here.
    however, if they do something that interferes anyway with my filesharing lol, i'll be the first guy to apologise to you and any other member i've taken a swing at.
    regards
    jay4

    31.12.2008 05:30 #47

  • Andrew_downloader (unverified)

    They cant completely block p2p. I use www.cyberdodge.co.nz to encrypt my internet traffic and hide my IP address. ISPs cant block p2p traffic if its fully encrypted with a VPN tunnel. They also cant throttle it.

    23.10.2011 01:36 #48

  • Mez

    jay4 it is not guts. The RIAA has paid them enough not to care about you. How much have you given your elected officials?

    Andrew who is they? I know my ISP can do what ever it wants to do. They could find you if they would want to but why would they? P2P is not the great threat it was 5 yrs back when the ISPs were really cracking down. Now they capabilities they developed are now a big pain for them. They are now forced to monitor and drop you as a client if you do too much and they do not get paid for any of this. The loss of a client often means the loss of 100 USDs per month because the client uses other services. They see the RIAA as a greedy parasite and do not want to help them.

    23.10.2011 10:24 #49

  • jay4

    Originally posted by Mez: jay4 it is not guts. The RIAA has paid them enough not to care about you. How much have you given your elected officials?

    Andrew who is they? I know my ISP can do what ever it wants to do. They could find you if they would want to but why would they? P2P is not the great threat it was 5 yrs back when the ISPs were really cracking down. Now they capabilities they developed are now a big pain for them. They are now forced to monitor and drop you as a client if you do too much and they do not get paid for any of this. The loss of a client often means the loss of 100 USDs per month because the client uses other services. They see the RIAA as a greedy parasite and do not want to help them.     i agree Mez!
    it's funny how the wheel turns.
    alot of the P2P places just disappeared anyway.
    i completely forgot about this post lol
    regards
    jay

    jay

    24.10.2011 07:07 #50

  • Mez

    That is the point the media hit P2P with a multi-prong attack and they did real well. I don't do it any more but then I did make sun while the sun shined. There is so little new great music I do not mind shelling out the money.

    I also forgot about this thread till Jay.

    The deal is with the paid sites and the down load caps persons are probably only downloading 10% of what they did during the hay day. At that rate only the media cares.

    24.10.2011 18:39 #51

  • xboxdvl2

    i live in australia and if the government blocks all p2p we will see isp's going broke within months and losing thousands (if not millions) of customers.

    dont think boycotting australian products is the answer as it is we already have too many cheap poorly made products coming in from asian countries.dont bankrupt australia centrelink is my only source of income.

    as for slow internet speeds the government was gonna build a national broadband network but i guess that will be a waste of time if they start censoring the internet.

    R.I.P. mr 1990 ford falcon.got myself a 1993 toyota corolla seems to run good.computers still going good.

    25.10.2011 00:18 #52

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