No penalty for bypassing internet censor.

[TVR-190]

No penalty for bypassing Conroy's internet filter | News.com.au

A TEENAGER famous for cracking the Howard government's $80 million web filter will be among the first lining up to get around the Rudd Government's as well - and there won't be any penalty for doing it.

The office of Communications Minister Stephen Conroy this week confirmed it would not be an offence to bypass the Government's planned mandatory internet filter once it was introduced.

The admission comes after pro-euthanasia group Exit International began teaching elderly Australians how to bypass internet filters earlier this month amid fears information about euthanasia would be censored under the plan.

Now Melbourne teenager and cyber safety advocate Tom Wood, famous for getting around the axed NetAlert web filtering software in 2007, says he will be among the first to try to bypass the Rudd Government's planned filter "for fun".

Mr Wood, now 18, couldn't say whether it would be easier to bypass the Rudd Government's filter than NetAlert — but he was sure it was possible.

"Well we can't know for sure because the software hasn't been released, but most server-type filters are pretty easy to bypass. The smart people will always find out how and share that information," he told news.com.au.

Mr Wood made headlines in 2007 when, at the age of 16, he managed to get around the Howard government's NetAlert web filter in about half an hour.

Unlike the NetAlert scheme, which offered Australians free filtering software to install on their home computer, the Rudd Government's plan will see filtering take place at the internet service provider level.

That means companies that provide internet access like Telstra, Optus and iiNet will be the ones doing the filtering.

The Government says it is introducing the filter, which will apply to all Australians, to stop "inadvertent" access to refused classification material.

"This content includes child sexual abuse imagery, bestiality, sexual violence, detailed instruction in crime, violence or drug use and/or material that advocates the doing of a terrorist act," said a spokesperson for Senator Conroy.

The Government was aware that tech-savvy people were likely to find a way around the filter, the spokesperson said.

"The independent report on the ISP-level filtering pilot trial found that technically competent people could circumvent filtering technologies," they said.

"Under the Government’s policy it will not be an offence to circumvent the filtering measures or to show someone how to circumvent."

Mr Wood said the internet filter didn't address many of the "real" problems faced by young people online, such as internet addiction.

"For the real problems online like security, privacy, addiction — especially with kids — filtering doesn't help them at all. Given the lack of education and services there are the moment I think that's what really should be given the most attention," he said.

The Government says its cyber safety policy includes "a range of measures including education, law enforcement, research and technical-based solutions".

Thank god the minister for censorship - i mean communication isnt smart, So i will feel much better about cracking this filter once it comes out (not that it being illegal would have worried me).

[MasterOfReality]

You know what the stupid thing is,

As soon as this filter is introduced, there will be instructions on how to bypass it everywhere.

If its not an offence, why not just scrap it altogether and save tax payer funds?

Goddamn this mob are ****wits.

[rb26dett]

I think this is just about getting his name in the papers.

[50LTRv8]

The thing about the original filter was that it was an opt in option, and it maybe not hard for a teenage geek to get around, but I highly doubt that my 7 yr old could get past it. I am not sure why they are NOT publishing the instructions now.

[DannyboyDS]

there will be people at markets selling cd's with modded browsers or other 3rd party piggy back programs that will do all the thinking for you, honestly, once a few people figure out how to by pass it they will write a program to make it easier for everyone else.

Would probably make a good subscription based program for anyone interested in making money.

[Tim Smtih]

Goddamn this mob are ****wits.

Haven't you noticed how they work? Got a problem, throw lots of money at it very quickly without necessarily thinking it through and hope it all goes well. No doubt there will be a massive deficit when they get booted out and the Liberals will moan about having to deal with it. It's one great big merry go round.

[jules]

if it only blocks child porn, as it's supposed to, there isn't a great incentive to bypass it. whether it works properly is yet to be determined though.

[VjamesY]

if it only blocks child porn, as it's supposed to, there isn't a great incentive to bypass it. whether it works properly is yet to be determined though.

I thought the filter slowed internet speed down or something? that's enough reason for me to bypass it, my internet is crap as it is.

[Astranomical]

I'm not going to say anything, since it would probably violate forum rules, but I'm already fairly sure I know how to bypass it - most people with even a basic understanding of how the Internet works should be able to work it out too.

[Demonica]

More money down the toilet. The government is in a huge amount of debt and they waste money on this stupid crap. What's the point of spending a crap load of money on blocking something that a very, very small minority of Aussies would even download and the ones who want to download the crap they're blocking in the first place will just find a way to bypass it anyway. Personally I think if they should dump the filter and anyone who is caught with child porn should be gelded.

[jules]

I thought the filter slowed internet speed down or something? that's enough reason for me to bypass it, my internet is crap as it is.

i would have assumed the filter was installed on ISP servers, not everyone's personal computers. i don't understand how you could bypass it, but i'm sure some hacker will figure it out.

[minux]

if it only blocks child porn, as it's supposed to, there isn't a great incentive to bypass it. whether it works properly is yet to be determined though.

It has already been proven it doesnt just block this stuff. It has blocked pro-abortion sites, pro-euthanisa sites, dentists, carpenters, the list goes on.

[stocky]

Sounds like BS to me. They say this just to gain a bit more support, but when it comes in, they will bring in penalties as well.

Reminds me of Eastlink. No tolls. After election, the tolls came in.

[Swordsy]

If its so easy to by pass, why don't they just make it an option that can be turned on or off at the ISP?