🚀 go-pugleaf

    Dear Austrian Ebone members,
    
    if appropriate for you, please follow the initiative described below and
    shutdown your Internet services including your Ebone access-lines
    tomorrow, Tuesday, 25.3. 16:00-18:00 MET.
    
    ACOnet will at least shutdown international access and services and the
    Vienna Internet eXchange (http://www.VIX.at) will be disabled in the
    given timeframe.
    
    Further information (in German) can be obtained (soon) from
    http://www.internet.at/  and/or as an Austrian ISP you may subscribe to:
    
    mailto:   majordomo@ping.at
    bodyline: subscribe a-offline
    
    Regards
    your local Ebone-NOC/Vienna
    <net-admin@cc.univie.ac.at>


			    ====================
			    Austria goes Offline
			    ====================
    
    On Tuesday, 25.3.1997, Austria's ISPs are going to shutdown all their
    Internet services from 16:00 to 18:00 MET.  The reason for this unique
    action is the recent seize of all computer equipment of a Viennese ISP
    by the police as pieces of evidence.  This official act was triggered by
    a denunciation versus persons unknown regarding child pornography dating
    10.3.1996 (! one year ago !).
    
    Confiscation of equipment after more than one year doesn't seem to be
    appropriate for securing evidence.  The current legal status doesn't
    clearly define the position of an ISP and doesn't specify general
    guidelines for the responsibility of content of the Internet.  With the
    general shutdown Austria's ISPs are demonstrating the only mode of
    operation which is evidently conforming to current law.
    
    Apart from the existing willingness for co-operation Austria's ISPs are,
    at the same time, offering practical support for the legal authority
    like free Internet access and training for their staff.