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MEDIA RELEASE              MEDIA REEASE                 MEDIA RELEASE
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
26th May 1999

            INTERNET GROUPS PLAN CENSORSHIP PROTEST

Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) and a group of Brisbane Internet
Service Providers (ISPs) today announced that an anti-censorship rally 
will be held in Brisbane on Friday 28th May commencing at 12.30pm in 
the Roma Street Forum, as part of a nationwide day of action.
<http://www.efa.org.au/Campaigns/may28/>
The rally is being held primarily in response to the authoritarian
legislation  passed by the Australian Senate today to regulate content on
the Internet.  

"The government has totally ignored industry and civil liberties concerns 
about the legislation," said EFA spokesperson Greg Taylor.  "There has 
been no attempt by the government to sell the bill on its merits without 
resorting to emotive statements about the need to protect children," he 
said. "The effect of the bill is to restrict the rights of adults and 
stifle commercial activity on the Internet, while doing little to 
protect children from unsavory material.  The government's action in
ramming this Bill through the Senate today is particularly obnoxious 
when examined in a global context.  No other country, apart from 
totalitarian regimes like China, has implemented government censorship 
of the Internet."

The government's action follows a series of announcements of increased
restrictions on other media, and political intervention in censorship
decisions and in the operation of the Office of Film and Literature 
Classification.

Reagan Blundell, a spokesperson for Brisbane community radio 4ZzZFM
said that Senator Alston's proposal to censor the Internet will impose
serious ramifications on the Australian music industry.

"4ZzZ-fm have been running an audio feed via the web. This could
come under the sword as our programming is more open than our
commercial counterparts, with shows ranging from prison issues,
to programs for the gay and lesbian community, and youth culture",
said Blundell.

Brisbane ISP representative Terry Giufre-Sweetser said that the
government was out of its depth.  "The government is deeming ISPs
responsible for the material their customers access, irrespective
of its origin," he said. "The ISP bottom line on this is simple.
They will go broke attempting to comply with this law."
 
The Brisbane rally will involve academics, political representatives,
civil libertarians and ISPs, who will address a range of censorship 
concerns.  After the rally there will be a march to the Commonwealth 
Parliamentary offices at Waterfront Place where it is planned that 
a deputation will present a resolution to a representative of Senator 
Warwick Parer in his capacity as Senator for Queensland, for forwarding to
the Prime Minister.

[ENDS]

Brisbane Media Contacts:
  Greg Taylor  Ph: 07 3370 6362 (except Friday 28th March)
                   0419 789 904 (on Friday 28th March)
  Reagan Blundell  Ph: 0413 729 896
  Terry Giufre-Sweetser  Ph: 07-3236 9366  or  0414 663 053

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Background Information:

Electronic Frontiers Australia website    http://www.efa.org.au

Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc. is a non-profit national organisation
formed to protect and promote the civil liberties of users and operators 
of computer based communications systems. EFA was formed in January 1994 
and incorporated under South Australian law in May 1994.  Our major goals 
are to advocate the amendment of laws and regulations in Australia and 
elsewhere (both current and proposed) which restrict free speech and 
unfettered access to information and to educate the community at large 
about the social, political, and civil liberties issues involved in the 
use of computer based communications systems. 

Information on protest rallies in other areas:
<http://www.efa.org.au/Campaigns/may28/>