Australia Proposes Mandatory Internet Censorship - Now Includes Video Games

[Sniffs]

Or, you could let adults act like adults and let parents actually parent instead of letting the government play nanny to everyone and decide that a 30+ year old person can't handle mature content.

fool, that's as part of the Commonwealth culture as VAT and government health care! don't forget, the OZ has been "officially" free for not much over a century, but they are not America! i don't care how damn close you THINK they are to the US, they are still a child of Britain.

I'll say the same thing I did when even democracy didn't work for Russia. Let them find their own way. that's the Parent in me talking, and I don't even have kids. i've dealt with adult nieces and nephews, my own cousins, etc. and the best way I've found and deduced is let them make their own mistakes and pay for it.

 

[Keef]

But Sniffs, can't we at least make them feel less fortunate while letting them find their own way?

 

[Vasco]

This damn filter becomes worst every minute. If this thing goes through (what a waste of taxpayer money!)l, I rest my hopes in that kid who cracked the old government filter in half an hour

 

[Rusty*]

Or, you could let adults act like adults and let parents actually parent instead of letting the government play nanny to everyone and decide that a 30+ year old person can't handle mature content.

The problem is that adults don't always act like adults(by definition), wow thats a shocker!
The use of the filter to target deviates that have dealings with inappropriate media is without a doubt its greatest highpoint. What if it was your children? Without the same call for the content the supply will slow. The people behind this are bussiness people, think off it like a transaction. No ones going to make a product if they cant sell it.
As for parenting, this will not affect there role in the upbringing of there kids at all, this filter will simply aid. Besides so many parents today don't pay the attention that they should to there children anyway.
My only problems with this censhorship is that I am anticipating that the goverment will call it a service to give them the grounds to tax us for it.
Then there is always the possibility that it will lower internet speeds, this I find completely rediculous. The internet price vs speeds in Australia already leave something to be desired, if it does get taxed and the speeds are slowed then it's not going to help that situation is it.👎
So we'll have to wait and see what the official details are off this are going to be, but this is very important as it effects all Australian's that access the internet.
R*

 

[Sureboss]

I thought Australian censorship on the net was the dial-up connections most of the country still uses?

 

[FoolKiller]

The problem is that adults don't always act like adults(by definition), wow thats a shocker!

So, you agree that you should punish everyone because a handful will act like tools? That's like banning alcohol completely because of drunk drivers.

The use of the filter to target deviates that have dealings with inappropriate media is without a doubt its greatest highpoint.

First, you have to describe inappropriate media. Child pornography? Sure, go after that, but don't invade everyone's privacy to do it. Possible terrorists? Again, I fully support stopping them, as long as my rights are still intact. Violent video games? OH NOES!!!

What if it was your children?

I would ask the government to get the hell out of my business. It is MY kids, not theirs. It is MY responsibility to make sure they aren't exposed to violent games. And if I as a parent decide that my child is mature enough to handle Grand Theft Auto in its complete and unedited form, then I should be able to make that call; not some nosey nanny-stater in the capitol who wouldn't know my kid from any others.

Instead of playing the role of the parent the government should encourage proper parenting through properly informing parents of the ratings on video games, what they mean, and what information can be found on the Internet that they should be aware that their children may find. An active parent is a much better parent than one who doesn't have to pay attention because the government has taken care of it all.

I should also point out that, if all goes well, I will be a parent in February, ad as I live in the US I will have to parent without the government blocking everything they deem inappropriate. I have been thinking about what my child will and won't be allowed to see and at what ages they may be allowed to see something more mature. I don't know exactly because right now it is just a lump of cells. I cannot make those judgments until that time comes, and then I can look at what I, as a parent, decide is appropriate. I definitely will not quietly allow the government to tell me what is appropriate video gaming material. As a parent it is my choice to decide what my child can and cannot see and play, and anyone who wishes to remove that choice from me will be in for a fight.

So, what if it were my children, you ask? The government officials would be getting daily letters and phone calls, all copied to media outlets, denouncing their stupidity in thinking that they can tell me how to parent my own child better than I can.

Without the same call for the content the supply will slow. The people behind this are business people, think off it like a transaction. No ones going to make a product if they cant sell it.

As these are products being imported from other countries where it can be sold; I don't see Grand Theft Auto, dumbed-down kiddie version, becoming the norm because of this. No one will stop making these mature rated video games just because one country has made it more difficult to obtain a copy.

And no, I do not doubt that Australian retailers support this so that they can sell more copies of the Australian edited versions of otherwise mature games. But the real answer shouldn't be restricting access to certain sites for everyone, but rather recognize that your citizens aren't a bunch of irresponsible bumbling idiots. Treat them like the responsible adults the majority of them are and allow a 30+ year old man to buy a game rated for people 18 and over from inside your country.

They made a bad regulatory decision, which citizens rejected in a way that hurt local business, so instead of rethinking their decision and making everyone happy, they just made new laws turning more people into criminals and angering even more people.

As for parenting, this will not affect there role in the upbringing of there kids at all, this filter will simply aid. Besides so many parents today don't pay the attention that they should to there children anyway.

You really do fully defend this notion that because a handful of people don't act the way you think they do that we should limit everyone, don't you? So, should they ban tobacco because it can cause cancer and people who use it are acting inappropriately? And parents might let their kids use it to. Or alcohol because some people then get in their cars and kill others? Or cars in general, because some stupid people like to street race or drive recklessly and kill people?

At the end of the day there are much worse things than violent video games.

My only problems with this censorship is that I am anticipating that the goverment will call it a service to give them the grounds to tax us for it.

But your entire argument is based on it being a service to parents and law enforcement. Based on everything you have said you should be taxed for this because you do see it as a beneficial service.

Then there is always the possibility that it will lower internet speeds, this I find completely rediculous.

But it will aid parents and prevent bad parents from screwing up their kids. Shouldn't this be a sacrifice you are willing to make? Won't you think of the children?


I should also point out to any Australian members in this thread that we have a section called The Trading Post here at GTPlanet. And just a quick glimpse at Ceiling Fan's thread shows at least one game I know that got RC. You had better really hope that this is not a wide sweeping censor that just blocks the entire site.

 

[Sniffs]

foolkiller: this is the argument that America's conservatives make against any form of socialization, like Nationalized health care. that it's none of anybody's business what happens. there should really be a balance in this kind of thing, but even in "welfare state" countries, the pendulum swings. britan had, for the longest time, trouble when it swung back and forth between the Conservative and Labour parties. imagine what it's like for the poor aussies, sometimes.

Also, WE are the only ones that managed to wiggle our way out of the huge pile of taxes that british tradition liked to dig up. the then Kingdom earned it's lesson quick (and got another one from the Irish, years later). the huge piles of taxes and the government stepping in are Standard Operating Procedure for the Commonwealth of Nations, which is why they are complaining that the government will find SOME way to tax it.

oh, and Fool, they've been slowly banning tobacco up here for over a decade.

I look forward to the debate coming up over this, and you Aussies better provide the "the way things work" for everybody's reference.

 

[FoolKiller]

foolkiller: this is the argument that America's conservatives make against any form of socialization, like Nationalized health care. that it's none of anybody's business what happens. there should really be a balance in this kind of thing, but even in "welfare state" countries, the pendulum swings. britan had, for the longest time, trouble when it swung back and forth between the Conservative and Labour parties. imagine what it's like for the poor aussies, sometimes.

Also, WE are the only ones that managed to wiggle our way out of the huge pile of taxes that british tradition liked to dig up. the then Kingdom earned it's lesson quick (and got another one from the Irish, years later). the huge piles of taxes and the government stepping in are Standard Operating Procedure for the Commonwealth of Nations, which is why they are complaining that the government will find SOME way to tax it.

None of what you said invalidates my point, which is that standard operating procedure is crap. And you have far over-generalized the opposition to socialization argument. If you only halfway pay attention to anything I say you know there is much more to it than that.

oh, and Fool, they've been slowly banning tobacco up here for over a decade.

Something which I also disagree with and have spoken out against. I'm not sure what your point is here.

 

[Casio]

Australians in general are not politically minded at all, we are not brought up taught and knowing our rights as Australians and people (We have no Bill of Rights or anything really like that). The majority of the population would probably vote for this if it ever came up because of the simplistic view of "Child Porn = Bad, Anything To Stop It= Good."

We don't have really have continuously running, politically dedicated shows over the network to analyse the actions of leaders and politicians, which may highlight the issues to otherwise unaware Australians. I can turn on FoxNews daily here and watch O'Reilly, Hannity, Beck, etc and be informed about the political issues in the USA for literally 8 hours a day, here we have maybe one serious show (Four Corners) which is on late at night, and is hardly for the casual Australians.

The issue in question about censorship I have not seen or heard about on any mainstream media, we're just not interested, this could pass and no one would know, except for the people it affects.

Then there is always the possibility that it will lower internet speeds

I would find it pretty hard to see how a filter would drastically lower internet speeds. It wouldn't be like going back to dial-up, the extra latency to process a filter ranges from nothing to almost nothing.

 

[FoolKiller]

We don't have really have continuously running, politically dedicated shows over the network to analyse the actions of leaders and politicians, which may highlight the issues to otherwise unaware Australians.

Is your local media state run, controlled by the government or is it a free, privately owned press, along the lines of what America has? That may explain a lot as the press in the US has long been described as the watchdog of the government. Basically, it is their duty to report on what the government does and raise questions that the public may have.

I can turn on FoxNews daily here and watch O'Reilly, Hannity, Beck, etc and be informed about the political issues in the USA for literally 8 hours a day,

I would not call those specific shows informed by any serious measure. They are opinion-based, so they will leave out details that do not support their case. Now, their hourly news breaks and stuff, that is much more likely to be informative.

The issue in question about censorship I have not seen or heard about on any mainstream media, we're just not interested, this could pass and no one would know, except for the people it affects.

So, foreign media outlets are covering Australian politics more than Australian media? If that's the case, I think some enterprising Australians have a large business opportunity in front of them.

 

[Sniffs]

AMERICAN standard operating procedure is not anyone else's, and that's what puzzles the rest of the world. it's also what makes most americans throw a fit the second something "foreign" is introduced.

I read part (but not all) of your vehement tobacco issue. as far as I'm concerned, we have no conroll over what happens anymore. it's the guys with the influence and money that make the world go round. I'm just going with the flow, and expecting tobacco products to slowly disappear as they're regulated out of existence.

that's also a point here with the Aussies. that anything but "baby" games and g rated material will be regulated away to nothing to ensure the "safety" of fragile little minds...and to prevent people from going Psycho. it has to do with, I believe, the US's reputation for being one giant Lawyer state, and every one else seems to want to prevent that from happening to them.

I compare the safety paranoia that's crept in for the past 20 years, especially in vehicles. for example, by the time FIAT meets all the new regulations over here, their vehicles, when they re-emerge, will get half their low European fuel consumption rates (i'm betting) and will probably STILL suffer from disintigration problems.

basically, I'm saying that the human race will become extinct not through some great cataclysm, environmental problems, or a new ice age, but by over-nannying ourselves into oblivion.

 

[TrievelA7X]

Wow. Cool beans. Maybe they can censor people's privates when they use the restroom next? It'd make men's locker rooms a lot more appealing. Hell, children at the Y shouldn't have to see growns men's things! Blur it out!

 

[Jay]

Australians in general are not politically minded at all, we are not brought up taught and knowing our rights as Australians and people (We have no Bill of Rights or anything really like that). The majority of the population would probably vote for this if it ever came up because of the simplistic view of "Child Porn = Bad, Anything To Stop It= Good."

We don't have really have continuously running, politically dedicated shows over the network to analyse the actions of leaders and politicians, which may highlight the issues to otherwise unaware Australians. I can turn on FoxNews daily here and watch O'Reilly, Hannity, Beck, etc and be informed about the political issues in the USA for literally 8 hours a day, here we have maybe one serious show (Four Corners) which is on late at night, and is hardly for the casual Australians.

The issue in question about censorship I have not seen or heard about on any mainstream media, we're just not interested, this could pass and no one would know, except for the people it affects.

I would find it pretty hard to see how a filter would drastically lower internet speeds. It wouldn't be like going back to dial-up, the extra latency to process a filter ranges from nothing to almost nothing.

Spot on on the mark

Is your local media state run, controlled by the government or is it a free, privately owned press, along the lines of what America has? That may explain a lot as the press in the US has long been described as the watchdog of the government. Basically, it is their duty to report on what the government does and raise questions that the public may have.

We have government channels (free), private owned free channels and pay/cable channels. What Casio has said about Australia and polictics is on the mark.

So, foreign media outlets are covering Australian politics more than Australian media? If that's the case, I think some enterprising Australians have a large business opportunity in front of them.

Yeah I don't think I have heard it on our media at all, like I said before Australians pretty much go with the flow which is why we get these stupid laws and rules. We really don't care about politics and we are forced to vote for this reason (otherwise vote count would probably be very small) and most of us see it as a annoying chore.

 

[Small_Fryz]

Another stupid rule from my perpective.. When ever we sell a pre-paid device (phone, wireless internet) we have to fill out a goverment form with the customers name, address signature and date, imei number and phone number plus our own name and store and address and claim we have seen ID that is accurate and vaild information... EVERYTIME, this is to stop "terriosts" from using pre-paid phones to make calls or something stupid like that.... Utterly rediculous...

The more i learn about our political side and the amount of power they have and we dont the more i realise that i just got to make the most of it, because nothing i can do will change it.

 

[mafia_boy]

Here here Jay, it is a bloody chore. I wish it was like the US where it's voluntary, then I wouldn't have to vote between a douche (KRudd) or a turd sandwich (Turnbull).

Or atleast change our system so it's not a two-party system in the first place. 👍

And I agree with everything Casio said there too. We're sheep when it comes to lawmaking and just say "yes sir" to whatever stupid law they bring up.

Small Fryz, if you have a credit card, you can do all that over the phone with most companies and don't need to deal with the paperwork and other crap. I know it's that way with Optus.

 

[FoolKiller]

The more i learn about our political side and the amount of power they have and we dont the more i realise that i just got to make the most of it, because nothing i can do will change it.

You can do something about it as long as you have elected officials. Support officials who want more individual liberties and smaller government. Contact your elected officials and tell them what you actually want them to do.

Heck, if you are so inclined, run for office yourself.

 

[Tornado]

^ Doubly so since this largely seems to be the personal vendetta of Conroy, if I'm reading this right.

 

[Casio]

And I agree with everything Casio said there too. We're sheep when it comes to lawmaking and just say "yes sir" to whatever stupid law they bring up.

I should of added, the one exception to that, is when the result of the law will cause things to cost more (Alcopops Tax), then you hear about it for weeks on end.

 

[GT Pro]

Australians in general are not politically minded at all, we are not brought up taught and knowing our rights as Australians and people (We have no Bill of Rights or anything really like that). The majority of the population would probably vote for this if it ever came up because of the simplistic view of "Child Porn = Bad, Anything To Stop It= Good.

Indeed, one only has to look at the utter failure of the first referendum for the creation of the Australian constitution outlining Federation at the end of the 19th Century to realise this. At a time when every person was obliged to think about politics and the future of Australia in absolute, it just so happened that, save for three colonies, there were not just an insufficient number of 'yes' votes but a complete lack of votes overall necessary to pass what we now know as our one and only Federal Constitution. Australians could not even care to turn up to a ballot box even when the future of the continent was in dire need of determination.

We don't have really have continuously running, politically dedicated shows over the network to analyse the actions of leaders and politicians, which may highlight the issues to otherwise unaware Australians.

Actually, Australia too has recently gained a 24-hour television channel dedicated to political discussion and debate by the name of A-PAC. It's on Foxtel mind you (I cannot remember the exact channel and am too tired to check), but it does offer some hope of further future political coverage.

Should one want to look at another recent example of Dictatorship Australia at work they need only look at the Federal Government's decision to outlaw the recently produced BMW Art advertisement featuring the new Z4 spinning around on a factory-sized canvas spreading dashes of colour on special tires. Apparently, it not only condones but will encourage more 'hooning' (police blanket term for any car that fails to exert 100% grip on any of our poor-quality roads for more than 1-millionth of a second).

Although I believe patriotism to be a noble virtue, I can't help but feel embarassed at present to be an Australian. 👎

 

[Jay]

Should one want to look at another recent example of Dictatorship Australia at work they need only look at the Federal Government's decision to outlaw the recently produced BMW Art advertisement featuring the new Z4 spinning around on a factory-sized canvas spreading dashes of colour on special tires.

Thats is the only advert I can think of for quite sometime that I thought was cool.

Apparently, it not only condones but will encourage more 'hooning' (police blanket term for any car that fails to exert 100% grip on any of our poor-quality roads for more than 1-millionth of a second).

Actually the police can get you for "hooning" just for rapid acceleration without exceeding traction or the speed limit.

 

[GT Pro]

Actually the police can get you for "hooning" just for rapid acceleration without exceeding traction or the speed limit.

Even full acceleration constitutes 'dangerous driving' now? It's no surprise why nobody wants to have anything to do with the dictatorship government of late. I truly hate this country right now.

 

[Jay]

Yeah the the police have a crap load of powers now, they used to hand out fines for "undue" noise or smoke, now they can impound your car without proof and label you as "hoon" for as little as excessive acceleration.

I remember when police had to have a reason to pull you over, now they have power to do random alcohol breath tests so they just fall on that excuse and can't be questioned about it. I have been pulled up many times in high performance cars for that excuse but never in standard family cars.

 

[Thiele]

Are you guys sure this is even happening? I haven't heard anything on TV or anything.

About this though, i am 15 and i don't need anything to be blocked, i know what places i should and shouldn't go to for my age. It might be a good idea for little kids, but i think this is just another one of Kevin Rudd's plans to make people think he's doing something uesful when he's not.

 

[Casio]

Left for Dead 2 Banned for sale in Australia

"Left 4 Dead 2" would obviously love to one-up its predecessor as much as possible, but due to the game's violent content, it may have outdone itself in Australia. The zombie-hunting sequel earned a brick-wall "RC" rating from the Australian government, indicating that it has been refused classification, without which Valve will have a hard time putting in on Aussie shelves.


Australia, which currently does not offer an 18+ rating for video games, refused to classify "Left 4 Dead 2" due its "realistic, frenetic and unrelenting violence," according to Joystiq. The game joins such titles as Gameloft's "Sexy Poker" and Piranha Bytes' RPG "Risen" on the ban list in the Land Down Under.

Considering the gore level present in the first "Left 4 Dead," which got a green light into the Aussie market, the sequel must have really slammed on the gas pedal with its violent content to earn such a distinction -- that is of course unless the people making Australia's game-ratings choices just felt extra prudish the day the game floated across their desks. Gore-lovers, meanwhile, in Australia and the rest of the world over are a likely going to be extra curious to see what ultra-offensive ban-worthy content put "Left 4 Dead 2" over the bar.

Discuss. (Apart from where you're going to import it from, because Play-asia is the best and only choice )

 

[Boffin]

BAH!

That is my expression at the gomment.

 

[Jay]

If we want to see 18+ rating it's all upto this guy to stop dragging his ass.

Funnily enough I ran into him in the city a few weeks ago.

 

[Boffin]

If he doesn't have several bruises on his face and on the vegetable patch, I am dissapoint, Jay .

 

[Keef]

BAH!

That is my expression at the gomment.

If we want to see 18+ rating it's all upto this guy to stop dragging his ass.

Funnily enough I ran into him in the city a few weeks ago.

What does the public in Australia plan to do about this situation and others like it? Is anyone organizing a movement? Speaking out? Standing up?

 

[Keef]

Discuss. (Apart from where you're going to import it from, because Play-asia is the best and only choice )

Does the PS3 have region restrictions?

If these game companies got rid of region restrictions it would mean you could import the game from anywhere and still be able to play it.

 

[Sureboss]

Your PS3 itself will be region specific. PS3 games are region free though.