WikiLeaks on Thu. exposed a secret blacklist of net pages the Australian govt allegedly is considering permanently filtering from the Net. The list of some 2,395 Internet pages, the providence of that the Australian authorities dispute, encompasses the common suspects of sites relating to kid porno, extraordinary violence and even bestiality. But not all of the sites are offensive, and include links to rank-and-file porno, YouTube videos, poker sites, WikiLeaks entries and even URLs to a Queensland dentist and dog-boarding dog house. “History shows that secret censorship systems, whatever their original intention, are usually corrupted into anti-democratic behavior,” WikiLeaks announced in a press release.

“This week saw Australia joining China and the U. A. E. As the sole states censoring WikiLeaks.”. The disclosure highlights growing threats to an open web from private and non-private entities. The central government in Australia wants to force all ISPs to use the list to censor the Net for everyone. It’s purportedly the same list that sellers of filtering software get from the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Kid Smart , a world kid protection charity based in Australia, declared the list’s publication is bad for youngsters and the individual that exposed it should be locked up. “Every 15-year-old boy in the country is going to be after this porn list,” expounded Bernadette McMenamin, the group’s executive director.

“The person who’s done this could be prosecuted and locked up for effectively disseminating and promoting kid pornography.”.

“The leak and publication of proscribed URLs is way irresponsible,” Communications Minister Stephen Conroy informed the Australian.

“It enfeebles attempts to improve cyber-safety and make a safe online environment for children.”. Conroy tried to cast doubt on the genuineness of the leaked list by illuminating discrepancies in the blacklist’s size. Whilst the leaked list contains 2,395 banned Internet pages, he asserted the govt’s blacklist contains about 1061 links.