How to defeat internet censorship

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Listen up folks, it looks like the fight is on. The Government is persisting with its plans to introduce compulsory internet censorship in Australia. It's bad policy. It's a waste of money, it won't work and there are better alternatives. Not to mention the threat to free speech. But let's be absolutely clear:

If you think we will defeat internet filtering just by being right or just because the facts are on our side - think again. This is politics. If we don't get properly organised with a clear and consistent message that reaches the people who need to hear it - we WILL lose.

Stop calling it the 'clean feed'!

To defeat internet filtering, you have to think politically. First off - stop referring to it as the 'clean feed'. That's what the Government calls it. You know why they call their idea the clean feed? Because it makes people think the internet is dirty. Everyone knows the internet is full of porn, right? A clean feed? Sounds like a good idea to me!

Yes, I know that's rubbish and so do you. But we're not the ones who need to be convinced that internet censorship is a bad idea. Call it what it is - censorship. There are still people who think censorship is a good idea, but there are lot of people who don't know much about the internet and might be worried about it, but who are against censorship. We just gave them a reason to listen to us.

It's not about freedom of speech!

You want to know how to lose this fight? Make it about freedom of speech.

I care about freedom of speech and net neutrality as much as you do, but we're not the ones who need to be convinced that internet censorship is a bad idea. To people who think censorship is a good idea, people like us are a bunch of mad raving lefties who think everyone should be exposed to child pornography and bestiality. That is how we will be painted if we let them, and IT WILL WORK. There are more of them than us.

This is not America. There is no constitutional right to free speech in Australia. The supporters will ask what's wrong with censorship? We censor movies, TV shows and video games and nobody complains - except those raving lefties of course but they would have us all playing Grand Theft Auto wouldn't they.

Don't make it about free speech. There are so many other things about internet censorship that make it easy to tear down. Free speech should be a closing argument, not the opening salvo.

Don't be smug

I can't say it any better than this guy does. Don't be smug and assume anyone who can't obviously see what a bad idea internet censorship is must be a rabid right-wing Christian fundamentalist, an idiot, or both. They may well be, or they may just be uninformed. Do you think calling people who are uninformed 'idiots' is going to endear them to your cause?

Many, many people think computers and technology are scary. They resent the digital world and how much it has encroached on their life. They resent that other people seem to know much more about it than they do, including their children. They want to protect their children. And because of that you're calling them an idiot? Fail.

Educate. Explain. Do it again and again no matter how boring it gets. Be patient, compassionate, and firm. You will appear knowledgeable and reassuring.

Burden of proof

The Government has said it's going to do this. At the moment, the burden of proof is on those who oppose it to make it clear WHY we oppose it. To those who support it or are undecided, at the moment we sound like smug, self-satisfied know-it-alls who like being superior in the world of the internet and are whinging at the thought of having someone take all our fun away. In the 'real world', it's obvious that a 'clean feed' is a good idea.

Doesn't it make you sick? It makes me angry. It makes me angrier when I see smart and caring people play right into their hands by getting hysterical about it all and making all the mistakes I've just mentioned.

We have the advantage of being right, and the facts are on our side. But that is only an advantage. It doesn't seal the deal. We have to get organised and put the burden of proof back on the Government and its supporters to explain why their plan is not an expensive and useless piece of populist junk.

How to win

I think there are four battle fronts we should be fighting on. Here they are in order.

1 - Why we don't need compulsory internet censorship

We need to talk to those who don't know much about the issue. We need to make it clear we care about a safe browsing experience, and that's why we think the Government's plan is a bad idea. It will do nothing to improve safety on the internet, there is a risk it could threaten safety and it will waste money that could be put to better use.

The Government can't make the internet completely safe, even if it wanted to. The best solution is to get street smart. Let's explain how to do that, what you need to know, what tools you can use and where you can go for more information.

By doing this, we are being mature, caring and helpful. Hard to paint that as hysterical. The Government will have to explain why its idea is better. Good luck with that.

We should use a campaign body to do this, set up a website, have a spokesperson and do interviews with media outlets, buy advertising and direct mail.

2 - Attack the Govt's proposal on technical grounds

The Government says it wants to make the internet safer. Will its plan actually succeed in doing this? Let's explain the many, many technical reasons why it won't in clear, concise talking points that invite people to argue the facts and which puts the burden of proof back on the Government to support its plan.

Mark Newton's 8-point list is a good place to start. Then, use these talking points to reiterate support Point 1 about how to enjoy a safe browsing experience.

3 - Attack the Govt's proposal on economic grounds

The Government has pledged to spend $125.8 million on the Cyber-Safety Plan. Not all of it will be spent on censoring the internet and some if it will likely be money well spent. But $40-odd million of public money to censor the internet is a lot of money for something that won't work. What would be a better use of that money?

Censoring the internet will cost ISPs money, especially dealing with confused/angry customers and chasing up false positives. That cost will be passed onto consumers and businesses. Censorship will slow the performance of the internet, which will hamper our progress in the global digital economy. The country will pay a big price for an idea that doesn't work to begin with.

Again, we need to avoid appearing hysterical and put the burden of proof back on the Government to explain why it wants to spend so much money on this even though it won't work and it has already been tried and dropped by the previous Government.

4 - It's un-Australian

Calling something un-Australian is a favourite weapon of the conservatives in the culture wars. Let's use it against the Government and supporters of censorship here.

Is Australia really a nanny state? Aren't we grown up enough to handle our day-to-day lives without the bureaucrats sticking their noses in and telling us how to care for our kids? Do we really want to throw our lot in with the likes of China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and North Korea? What does that say about us?

This is where the arguments for free speech come in. They are good, valid arguments which come across more powerfully after making the previous points. The Government must explain why it thinks foisting compulsory censorship onto everyone in the country is necessary.

It's the Senate, stupid!

Labor have the numbers to pass this bill in the House of Representatives. All they need are a handful of votes in the Senate to make it into law. Those votes could come from the Greens, Nick Xenophon the independent senator (who supports it!), Stephen Fielding of Family First (who loves it) or the Liberals/Nationals, who will be sniffing the wind with an eye to the next election.

Let's get real about this so it doesn't happen. We need to get organised. Educate the people who are sitting on the fence, attack the Government on technical and economic issues, force the burden of proof back onto them to defend their plan, protest to the Government and the Opposition and throw in the arguments about free speech as a final deal-breaker.

If we keep on going the way we are, we could lose. That scares the hell out of me. If anyone is serious about getting a campaign together, I will gladly get involved.

Tagged as: clean feed, conroy, filtering, internet censorship