Election censorship concern
Posted on February 2, 2010, 12:12pm
South Australians will face online commenting restrictions when writs are issued for the March 20 State Election.
The Advertiser revealed today that a new law came into force on January 6, requiring internet bloggers, and anyone making a comment on next month’s state election, to publish their real name and postcode when commenting on the poll.
No such rules apply to commenting on federal elections.
The Right to Know Coalition, made up of major media outlets, has described the new laws as “draconian”.
Attorney General Michael Atkinson was quoted in the Adelaide Now report saying: “There is no impinging on freedom of speech, people are free to say what they wish as themselves, not as somebody else.”
Editor of The Border Watch, Michael Gorey, said the new law was a disturbing development.
“It will inevitably lead to a proliferation of anonymously published offshore websites that have no moderation policies at all,” Mr Gorey said.
“It appears that media websites will be required to verify the identity of all commenters, which will limit the number of comments and the flow of debate, also making it difficult for some people to comment at all.
“Young people will find it almost impossible to get a comment published.
“Most likely, we’ll have to use the electoral roll and phone book for verification.”
It’s understood the Liberal Party supported the legislation when it passed through parliament last year.
as posted here
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