Stop the Internet Filter: Support the Sex Party

News from Starks - Monday, 17 November 2008 @ 4:10pm

Taking the adage 'Sex sells' to the ultimate level, a new political party is about to hit the scene. With a missionary outlook to the activities behind-closed-doors (Or out in public view if you're into that sort of thing), the 'Sex Party' is seeking to win seats in both Federal and State parliments.

Their platform includes "...national sex education curriculum, reducing censorship, abolishing the government's proposed internet filter and supporting gay marriage."

And this is where the relevance to gaming has come from. With the proposed internet filter for Australia gaining momentum, fears about online censorship (And indeed the future of even some legitimate sites that could be seen as bending the rules) has risen and has become a very hot topic. Indeed, anything and everything that could be done to stop this rediculous move by a supposedly democratically elected government (Who obviously wish to parent the entire nation and are ignoring the wishes of the general population) is something that should be looked at with the interest of giving support.

Source (Yes I know it's from News.com.au, but I couldn't find it from a more reputable source.)

I'm of the opinion that such a decision to filter the internet is the beginning of a 'Big Brother' style government. Although I am for the prevention of children accessing material that could damage their development, I believe that such monitoring is the domain of the parent, not the government, and the adult population of the country should not be subjected to a universal 'Net Nanny'. In fact, I am totally against such a move as it flies against the basic tenets of freedom of information and knowledge.

The potential impact for this filter to damage and stunt the growth of the gaming industry is yet to be seen; Suffice to say that it doesn't bode well for us should insanity prevail and someone flicks the switch.