Inspecting the Despicable, Assessing the Unacceptable: Prohibited Packets and the Great Firewall of Canberra

40 Pages Posted: 25 Sep 2009

See all articles by David Vaile

David Vaile

University of New South Wales (UNSW) - UNSW Law & Justice; Cyberspace Law and Policy Centre

Renee Watt

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Date Written: September 22, 2009

Abstract

At first glance the Australian Government’s 2008 proposal to install a two-layered mandatory Internet ‘content filtering’ regime at ISP level - rather than the current opt-in filtering at the user’s personal computer - appears relatively straightforward, with a clear mandate, solid unobjectionable aims, little change from existing legal principles and governance frameworks, and challenging but achievable technical goals. Closer inspection does not sustain this appearance; each of these conclusions is shaky; and there are as many interpretations of what is really at stake as there are observers. This paper explores some of the issues that complicate policy development and technical assessment.

Keywords: Internet, content filtering

Suggested Citation

Vaile, David and Watt, Renee, Inspecting the Despicable, Assessing the Unacceptable: Prohibited Packets and the Great Firewall of Canberra (September 22, 2009). UNSW Law Research Paper No. 2009-35, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1477816

David Vaile

University of New South Wales (UNSW) - UNSW Law & Justice ( email )

Kensington, New South Wales 2052
Australia

Cyberspace Law and Policy Centre

Sydney, NSW 2052
Australia

HOME PAGE: http://www.cyberlawcentre.org

Renee Watt (Contact Author)

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

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