US Ambassador tells Aust Govt not to filter

It is very rare to have an Ambassador comment on a domestic , and even more rare amongst friendly countries. So I was surprised and pleased to see the Ambassador to Australia speak out against the Government's planned compulsory filter:

CHILD pornographers can be captured and prosecuted without having to resort to mandatory internet filters, says Barack Obama confidante and US Ambassador to Australia Jeff Bleich.

Speaking on ABC TV's Q&A program last night, Mr Bleich said Australia had been made aware of his own government's no internet stance and that the US has had “healthy discussions” with its Australian counterparts on the matter.

“On the issue of the internet we have been very clear. The internet needs to be free,” Mr Bleich said.

“It needs to be free the way we have said skies have to be free, outer space has to be free, the polar caps have to be free, the oceans have to be free. They're shared resources of all the people in the world.”

The US had told Australia child pornographers could be nabbed without the use of internet filters, Mr Bleich said.

“What we've said is we have been able to accomplish the goals that Australia has described, which is to capture and prosecute child pornographers and others use the internet for terrible purposes, without having to use internet filters,” he said.

I like the quote about how the Internet is a shared resource of all the people in the world.

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