OMEN
03-19-2009, 11:53 AM
A SECRET list of websites purporting to be from the communications watchdog has been leaked to the public, and includes one of the most popular sites in the country.
The pornography site, which news.com.au cannot name, is the 38th most popular site in Australia, according to web ranking service Alexa.
It is more popular than sites like White Pages, Yellow Pages, Optus, Career One and the official sites of the NSW, Victoria and Queensland state governments.
However the Communicationed Minister has denied this "leaked list" is the original from the watchdog.
A secret blacklist of illegal sites, maintained by the Australian Communications And Media Authority (ACMA), is the basis of the Federal Government's web filtering plan.
Under the plan, all internet service providers will be forced to block access to sites on the blacklist.
The fake list was published on a public website without any age verification or warnings.
It contains 2395 sites, which is what identified it as a fake, says Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.
"The published list purports to be current at 6 August 2008 and apparently contains approximately 2400 URLs whereas the ACMA blacklist for the same date contained 1061 URLs," Senator Conroy said in a statement.
Last November the media watchdog said its blacklist contained 1370 sites.
“The leaking of the list has confirmed some of our worst fears,” said vice-chair of Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) Colin Jacobs earlier today, before the list was slammed by Senator Conroy.
“This was bound to happen, especially as mandatory filtering would require the list to be distributed to ISPs all around the country."
As well as sites suspected of publishing child pornography the fake list includes pages on Wikipedia, YouTube and Wikileaks as well as online gambling sites.
ACMA has warned that anyone who republishes the list or attempts to access child pornography sites on it could face up to 10 years in prison.
It has also warned that linking to sites on the list could incur fines of up to $11,000 a day.
NewsAU
The pornography site, which news.com.au cannot name, is the 38th most popular site in Australia, according to web ranking service Alexa.
It is more popular than sites like White Pages, Yellow Pages, Optus, Career One and the official sites of the NSW, Victoria and Queensland state governments.
However the Communicationed Minister has denied this "leaked list" is the original from the watchdog.
A secret blacklist of illegal sites, maintained by the Australian Communications And Media Authority (ACMA), is the basis of the Federal Government's web filtering plan.
Under the plan, all internet service providers will be forced to block access to sites on the blacklist.
The fake list was published on a public website without any age verification or warnings.
It contains 2395 sites, which is what identified it as a fake, says Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.
"The published list purports to be current at 6 August 2008 and apparently contains approximately 2400 URLs whereas the ACMA blacklist for the same date contained 1061 URLs," Senator Conroy said in a statement.
Last November the media watchdog said its blacklist contained 1370 sites.
“The leaking of the list has confirmed some of our worst fears,” said vice-chair of Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) Colin Jacobs earlier today, before the list was slammed by Senator Conroy.
“This was bound to happen, especially as mandatory filtering would require the list to be distributed to ISPs all around the country."
As well as sites suspected of publishing child pornography the fake list includes pages on Wikipedia, YouTube and Wikileaks as well as online gambling sites.
ACMA has warned that anyone who republishes the list or attempts to access child pornography sites on it could face up to 10 years in prison.
It has also warned that linking to sites on the list could incur fines of up to $11,000 a day.
NewsAU