The communications regulator has been forced to change its internal processes after the address of a prohibited anti-abortion web page in its top-secret blacklist was widely distributed on the internet.
The move comes after the Australian Communications and Media Authority threatened a fine of up to $11,000 a day against a web host for displaying the banned web page link.
The host supplies services to popular internet community website Whirlpool.
The problem began on January 5 when a Melbourne internet user, known online as Foad, complained to ACMA about "offensive content" on an anti-abortion web page (not the entire website).
Two weeks later ACMA replied, confirming the web page contained prohibited or potentially prohibited content.
ACMA's response contained the link to the offending web page, which soon found its way to various blogs and forums, including Whirlpool.
ACMA has since learned from its mistake. "ACMA has modified its replies to complainants to omit the URLs of prohibited content and potential prohibited content," a spokesman said.
ACMA must advise complainants of the outcome of their complaints, the spokesman said, and it was usual to include the relevant URL in the response to ensure that complainants, particularly those who had complained about several URLs, were aware of the action ACMA had taken.
"ACMA is aware of only a handful of instances from the 6000 investigations completed since January 1, 2000, where a complainant has published ACMA's response," the spokesman said.
Other Australian websites and blogs continue to display the location of the banned web page, but ACMA says no action will be taken as "ACMA has not received any other complaints about links to the content concerned".
Whirlpool, which has 276,000 members who regularly provide comments on the internet and broadband in Australia, removed the web page after its web hosting company, Bulletproof Networks, received an "interim link deletion" notice from ACMA.
ACMA said it took action against Bulletproof in accordance with the Broadcast Services Act.
Whirlpool owner Simon Wright questioned why ACMA slapped the notice on Bulletproof instead of Whirlpool since it was the latter that had published the web page.
"ACMA should have contacted us first. We felt compelled to remove the link to avoid getting Bulletproof into trouble," Mr Wright said. "Threatening friendships is something mobs do, not governments."
Bulletproof spokesman Lorenzo Modesto said it had complied with the notice because it was the responsible thing to do when authorities came calling.
Bulletproof notified Whirlpool, which removed the link.
Greg Tingle comment...
I'm an adult and if I wish to watch adult porno that should be my business only. If I want to visit a poker or online casino website to place a bet, so be it. If I want to link to Betfair, I should have every right to. Here's a movie to watch, John Carpenter's 'They Live'. Part science fiction thriller and part black comedy, the film echoed contemporary fears of a declining economy, within a culture of greed and conspicuous consumption common among Americans in the 1980s. In They Live, the ruling class within the monied elite are in fact aliens managing human social affairs through the use of subliminal media advertising and the control of economic opportunity. Rudd, any bells ringing here. Liberal, you have found your next election winner I believe. The way this is going Australia is heading for a riot which will make Cronulla, Maroubra, Thailand, China and France look like child's play. Rudd and Conroy, it's happening on your watch. Is the Australian government happy with themselves now. I would suggest that some Australian politicians are going to do well to get bodyguards, if they don't have them already, such is the dislike of some of their jackass policy, and some of them are the clowns that signed off some of this garbage.
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