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US criticises Australia's proposed algorithm opt-out laws as 'censorship'

112 points · 148 comments · 1659447091

  1. nomilk · · focus · HN ↗
    As is common in political shenanigans, the draft bill has a euphemistic label ('algorithmic opt-out') - what it actually does is allow unspecified bureaucrats such as the Minister for Communications to designate any individual piece of content as 'harmful' and have it banished from the internet.

    As an Australian who just wants relatively free access to information (and the ability to freely/easily discuss it), it's frustrating.

    And it's not the first time the Australian government has done this; last year they banned U16 from social media, several weeks later everyone was alerted to Bondi by... social media.. so they could get the heck out of there, but U16... they were left clueless and unable to get updates (news sites ran 30+ minutes behind real-time events and official sites like NSW Police took 70+ minutes to even announce there was a shooter).

    1. gregoryl · · focus · HN ↗
      We elected a central-left government, and somehow ended up with center right. Its deeply frustrating.
      1. maximus_01 · · focus · HN ↗
        The days of the left being more supportive of free speech than the right are long over
        1. BLKNSLVR · · focus · HN ↗
          The Right/Republicans have always touted free speech. They love getting their hate out.

          The Left have always been a bit more 'censory', generally because of their bleeding hearts on behalf of the minorities that are the targets of the Right's exercising of their free speech.

          Such is my understanding. I don't really mind either stance, with the caveat that anything 'censory' has a chance of having it's definitions expanded (and admittedly, this is succumbing to the slippery slope fallacy).

          1. RealityVoid · · focus · HN ↗
            The right is just as "censory" as the left with things they don't like.

            But I think both "the right" and "the left" are kind of reductive and caricatures. I guess forcing you to go in a camp is one of the great woes of American politics.

            1. BLKNSLVR · · focus · HN ↗
              > But I think both "the right" and "the left" are kind of reductive and caricatures. I guess forcing you to go in a camp is one of the great woes of American politics.

              100%, it only seems to fuel the already-present tendency for tribalism.

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