• Colin Jacobs

Image: Andréia / flickr

24 September 2010You probably know that internet censorship is a hot topic. It's on the rise around the world and has been a big issue here in Australia, where a new push for censorship remains government policy.

The internet is such a great enabler of free speech. Why do governments want to censor it?

Some of the motivation is understandable. With free speech comes troublesome speech. Even in a democracy such as Australia, most of society believes in limits to free speech. Where do you yourself draw the line? Even a staunch defender of civil liberties quickly runs into some thorny issues. Think about defamation, racial vilification, stalking, and of course child pornography. Do you support laws against false advertising? Against fraud - lying for financial gain? What about making a death threat - that's nothing more than a type of speech. So is publishing nude photos of you without your permission, or blogging the names and cover identities of Australian spies on active duties overseas.

All of these things can happen online. Should the change of medium make them exempt from government control?

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Image: 'Censorship causes blindness', Andréia / flickr