Australian telcos block dozens of websites hosting Christchurch terror video

Discussion in 'Australia, NZ, Pacific' started by Violet_Crumble, Mar 19, 2019.

  1. Violet_Crumble

    Violet_Crumble Well-Known Member

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    A site that explicitly stated it would not host the horrific Christchurch terror video has been blocked by Australian telcos in an “extraordinary” effort to censor dozens of websites.

    Telstra, Vodafone and Optus have all confirmed they are actively blocking Australian customers on their networks from accessing websites that hosted the Christchurch terror video.

    None of the three telcos would say which sites had been blocked. The blocks are temporary and will be lifted when the footage is removed. The decision was made independently by telcos following industry-wide discussions, without any direction from law enforcement or the courts.

    Facebook and Twitter were not targeted, despite hosting the video.

    Guardian Australia understands this is because they are taking active steps of their own to remove the material from their pages. Many mainstream media outlets have also shown the video on their site, including News.com.au, which remains accessible.

    But LiveLeak, a video sharing site known for often showing disturbing content, has been blocked by Telstra, Vodafone and Optus. The video initially appeared on LiveLeak, but was soon scrubbed and is no longer available in searches.

    LiveLeak told its users in a statement on Monday that it was refusing to carry the video because it did not want to “indulge” the perpetrator by carrying his propaganda and that it had received “no small number of complaints” regarding the fact that it would not carry the video of the shooting in New Zealand, streamed live on Facebook.

    https://www.theguardian.com/technol...of-websites-hosting-christchurch-terror-video
     
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  2. HonestJoe

    HonestJoe Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Technology companies take reasonable practical measures to minimise the distribution of the videos.

    Media: YOU’RE NOT DOING ENOUGH!

    Technology companies take slightly stronger measures to minimise distribution of the videos.

    Media: YOU’RE DOING TOO MUCH!
     
  3. Hoosier8

    Hoosier8 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Facebook was getting a post of the video every second so they had to turn to an algorithm which took out legitimate content but there is a process to reinstate that.
     
  4. Violet_Crumble

    Violet_Crumble Well-Known Member

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    You summed it up pretty well there :)
     
  5. Violet_Crumble

    Violet_Crumble Well-Known Member

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    I don't envy them trying to have to get rid of all traces of the video. It'd be a really really difficult task. And I'm glad the telcos have said the blocks are only temporary. Though being an Optus customer, if I really really want to see something that's blocked, I know how to get around it. Mind you, mine are innocent things like watching BBC stuff that's geoblocked....
     
  6. alexa

    alexa Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I think it is a really difficult one to get right. A lot of left wing sites have found themselves banned, at least temporarily and this was absolutely nothing to do with promoting violence. ..and that is the difficulty..and as we know sites that are banned move to the dark internet. I like being able to have a look at them now and then and see what they are up to and banning them stops that. However the article Violet put in does put very clearly how they act to bring together people with repugnant views, normalising them and making them feel they have at last found those of a like mind and indeed how those who are just a bit concerned about something can easily be drawn in and converted.

    Banning sites is a very dangerous thing. If we need to do it which we may, we need some very strong guidelines which as closely guard our freedom of thought, right to information and different views. Those guidelines possibly should be produced by an organisation like Chatham House rather than a Government organisation.
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2019
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  7. James Knapp

    James Knapp Well-Known Member

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    If that's the case, LiveLeak are hypocrites because I have seen far, far, far worse on there than the NZ video. Censorship doesn't solve the problem, perhaps Governments should be looking at ways to prevent these things happening in the future and addressing the issues that are driving hate on both sides.
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2019
  8. Steady Pie

    Steady Pie Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    The day of the attack the video was downloaded 200,000 times in countries all over the world, all but 1 far outside our jurisdiction.

    The possibility of getting rid of the video disappeared the instant it finished upload.

    Anyone can get around it, first with a VPN, if that fails by using TOR. People are openly buying and selling drugs, assault rifles, child abuse material, etc. Right now. If they could stop it they would.

    Blocking the video is one thing, 14 years prison for sharing the manifesto is pure tyranny.
     
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  9. scarlet witch

    scarlet witch Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Unprecedented' surge of online extremism after Christchurch
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/unp...emism-after-christchurch-20190420-p51fss.html
     
    Last edited: Apr 21, 2019

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