EFA MEDIA RELEASE - POLL SHOWS AUSTRALIANS DON'T WANT INTERNET CENSORSHIP

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Media Release
Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc.
                    Media Release                  January 1st 1998

POLL SHOWS AUSTRALIANS DON'T WANT INTERNET CENSORSHIP

Results from the latest www.consult survey (10500 Australian Internet
Users, November 1997) show continuing opposition to censorship of the
Internet.  They come just a month after Australian Attorneys-General
promised tough Internet censorship - and in the same week as China
announces sweeping new Internet censorship regulations.

Fewer than 8% of Australian Internet users believe there should be
government censorship of the Internet.  60% think that parents alone
should take responsibility.  And 30% don't think that anyone should
censor the Net.

www.consult principal Ramin Marzbani asked: "Why are significant
government resources and attention being wasted on trying to conjure up
near impossible and unnecessary ways to censor the Internet?  Worse still,
many of the government efforts appear directed at pushing the cost of
enforcement onto third parties such as ISPs who can not reasonably be
expected to police and monitor their users."

Electronic Frontiers Australia chairman Kim Heitman commented: "Survey
results like this have been repeated many times now.  They make it very
clear that the Australian Attorneys-General are out of step with public
opinion in their plans to censor the Internet.  EFA has pointed out before
that the ultra-conservative Lyons Forum, which seems to have control of
Coalition social policy, represents only a small minority of Australians."

"Child pornography is already illegal on the Internet, and Australians
do not accept that further censorship is necessary or desirable."

2500 people have signed EFA's online petition against Internet censorship.

ENDS

      --------------------------------------------------------------
      Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc  --  http://www.efa.org.au/
      representing Internet users concerned with on-line freedoms
      --------------------------------------------------------------
      Media Contacts

      Kimberley Heitman                  Danny Yee
      Phone: 618 9458 2790               Phone: 02 9955 9898 (home)
                                         Phone: 02 9351 5159 (work)
      Email: kheitman@it.com.au          Email: danny.yee@efa.org.au
      --------------------------------------------------------------

      --------------------------------------------------------------
      www.consult - http://www.consultco.com.au/
      Australia's largest Internet research organisation
      --------------------------------------------------------------
      Media Contact

      Elizabeth Addario 
      Phone: 02 9252 0422
      Email: elizabetha@consultco.com.au
      --------------------------------------------------------------

BACKGROUND

EFA petition
     http://www.efa.org.au/Campaigns/petition.html

Latest Chinese censorship crackdown
     http://cnn.com/WORLD/9712/30/china.internet.reut/index.html
     http://www.yahoo.com/text/headlines/971230/news/stories/internet_1.html
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