Is free speech coming to an end?
A number of governments around the world, along with our own State Government, have expressed concern about how someone can anonymously express their views online.
Amendments to the SA Electoral Act, which came into force on 6 January, require anyone who comments online about the SA Government or a state election to disclose their real name and postcode on their comment.
This recent change to legislation was largely in response to the rapid growth of the internet, and its various chat forums and blogs. Is it the case that the Government feels it's losing the PR battle, and this is perhaps one way to combat the increasing public scrutiny and questioning that's occurring online?
It begs the questions, however - can legislation be used to control free speech, and combat the use of the internet?
After the initial announcement, networking sites, talkback radio, news sites and blogs were flowing with public opinion on the new legislation. Many who commented were outraged and viewed the legislation as a form of censorship, with one online user comparing it to a ‘communist regime’.
Electronic Frontiers Australia, a non-profit national organisation that works to promote and protect the fundamental rights of Australian internet users, highlighted the problems with the legislation: it was poorly drafted, did not provide enough guidance and no consideration was given as to how it would be monitored outside of SA. Maybe SA's Electoral Commissioner could spend his days prowling the internet during the election campaign policing such a law?
Web and Online Marketing Commentator, Steve Davis, said “the Government’s ill-informed attempt at mass censorship should be resisted in order to protect our freedom of speech in the future.”
Two days after the initial announcement, following the public outcry and pressure from the Opposition, SA's Attorney General Michael Atkinson released a statement, indicating he would repeal the law after the election, acknowledging it as 'unduly restrictive'. In the meantime, the law will remain in place, however it wont actually be enforced.
For a Government so used to being in control, the internet still remains new and unknown territory. Is the Government’s intention clear? Is it saying that if it can’t control the story, it wants to control the comment? Or is it trying to reduce reckless and defamatory comment? It depends on who you listen to.
If you don’t agree with the new internet censorship laws, click here to join the Facebook petition.
- Melanie Wellington, Media Monitoring and Team Support
The material on this web page comprises the personal views of the author and does not represent the view or opinion of communikate et al. communikate et al accepts no liability for the content of this web page.
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