Australia's "Porn Passport"
Electronic Frontiers Australia is once again disappointed that fundamental privacy and security principles will be compromised for a quick fix to complex social and policy issues.
“’Harmful content’ is a subjective and ultimately very political catch-all which we know has been weaponised against marginalised groups,” said EFA Chair, John Pane.
EFA has been consistent in our opposition to both online age verification and to the increasing powers that the eSafety Commissioner continues to seek without transparency, oversight, disclosure of technical detail, or a disciplined and thoughtful examination of the consequences for our society.
EFA is especially concerned that while this latest move is presented as a control on access to pornography by minors, the scope and range of material that will be covered is still unspecified, and the age gating mechanism to be used is also undecided. The same people who shut down Safe Schools are pushing hardest for this, and “harmful content” under their definition can be lifesaving — it is not clearcut. (Read more below)