The attempt to rush the provisions of the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 through the Senate is unseemly. There is significant potential that genuine concerns about inappropriate internet access by children is being used as a disingenuous ploy to force all Australians to submit personal identification to access the internet.
In Australia, the “nothing to hide, nothing to fear” perspective is common. This is superficially understandable, especially for Australia where we thankfully have relatively low levels of official corruption and abuse of power. However, across history and around the world, this is a rarity and is not guaranteed to remain ever so. In fact, the Australian government has a chequered history of abuse of power. For example: denial of women’s right to vote; persecution of homosexuality; the white Australia policy; denial of citizenship rights for Aboriginals; the Vietnam War draft; covid lockdowns and mandates; and on and on.
Anonymous protest has been a crucial part of challenging the previous fascistic behaviour of the Australian government. The internet and online forums and social media are modern public squares. The right to anonymous speech and anonymous protest in these modern public squares is a critical protection for those who are at risk of unjust government abuse and persecution.
I vigorously request that you reject this bill and thereby reject furthering the means for the Australian government to track and persecute its own people.
Great letter. My only objection is to the phrase, "Australia where we thankfully have relatively low levels of official corruption and abuse of power." I think Australia has the same level of corruption and abuse of power as any banana republic would. All Western nations are now banana republics - Australia is no different.
My email text:
The attempt to rush the provisions of the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 through the Senate is unseemly. There is significant potential that genuine concerns about inappropriate internet access by children is being used as a disingenuous ploy to force all Australians to submit personal identification to access the internet.
In Australia, the “nothing to hide, nothing to fear” perspective is common. This is superficially understandable, especially for Australia where we thankfully have relatively low levels of official corruption and abuse of power. However, across history and around the world, this is a rarity and is not guaranteed to remain ever so. In fact, the Australian government has a chequered history of abuse of power. For example: denial of women’s right to vote; persecution of homosexuality; the white Australia policy; denial of citizenship rights for Aboriginals; the Vietnam War draft; covid lockdowns and mandates; and on and on.
Anonymous protest has been a crucial part of challenging the previous fascistic behaviour of the Australian government. The internet and online forums and social media are modern public squares. The right to anonymous speech and anonymous protest in these modern public squares is a critical protection for those who are at risk of unjust government abuse and persecution.
I vigorously request that you reject this bill and thereby reject furthering the means for the Australian government to track and persecute its own people.
Great letter. My only objection is to the phrase, "Australia where we thankfully have relatively low levels of official corruption and abuse of power." I think Australia has the same level of corruption and abuse of power as any banana republic would. All Western nations are now banana republics - Australia is no different.
Beautifully said Meryl!!
Thanks so much, Debra :-)
Zero respect
👍
no respect ever.. none..
I do not respect Albo
Right answer!
All the emails in one text string to make the above easier (just paste the whole thing in BCC and they should resolve automatically): senator.allman-payne@aph.gov.au;senator.antic@aph.gov.au;senator.askew@aph.gov.au;senator.ayres@aph.gov.au;senator.babet@aph.gov.au;senator.barbara.pocock@aph.gov.au;senator.bilyk@aph.gov.au;senator.birmingham@aph.gov.au;senator.bragg@aph.gov.au;senator.brockman@aph.gov.au;senator.cadell@aph.gov.au;senator.canavan@aph.gov.au;senator.carol.brown@aph.gov.au;senator.chandler@aph.gov.au;senator.chisholm@aph.gov.au;senator.ciccone@aph.gov.au;senator.colbeck@aph.gov.au;senator.cox@aph.gov.au;senator.darmanin@aph.gov.au;senator.davey@aph.gov.au;senator.david.pocock@aph.gov.au;senator.duniam@aph.gov.au;senator.farrell@aph.gov.au;senator.faruqi@aph.gov.au;senator.fawcett@aph.gov.au;senator.ghosh@aph.gov.au;senator.green@aph.gov.au;senator.grogan@aph.gov.au;senator.hanson-young@aph.gov.au;senator.hanson@aph.gov.au;senator.henderson@aph.gov.au;senator.hodgins-may@aph.gov.au;senator.hughes@aph.gov.au;senator.hume@aph.gov.au;senator.katy.gallagher@aph.gov.au;senator.kovacic@aph.gov.au;senator.lambie@aph.gov.au;senator.liddle@aph.gov.au;senator.lines@aph.gov.au;senator.marielle.smith@aph.gov.au;senator.matt.o'sullivan@aph.gov.au;senator.mcallister@aph.gov.au;Senator.McCarthy@aph.gov.au;senator.mcdonald@aph.gov.au;senator.mcgrath@aph.gov.au;senator.mckenzie@aph.gov.au;senator.mckim@aph.gov.au;senator.mclachlan@aph.gov.au;senator.michaelia.cash@aph.gov.au;senator.nampijinpaprice@aph.gov.au;senator.oneill@aph.gov.au;senator.paterson@aph.gov.au;senator.payman@aph.gov.au;senator.polley@aph.gov.au;senator.pratt@aph.gov.au;senator.rennick@aph.gov.au;senator.reynolds@aph.gov.au;senator.roberts@aph.gov.au;senator.ruston@aph.gov.au;senator.scarr@aph.gov.au;senator.sharma@aph.gov.au;senator.sheldon@aph.gov.au;senator.shoebridge@aph.gov.au;senator.smith@aph.gov.au;senator.steele-john@aph.gov.au;senator.sterle@aph.gov.au;senator.stewart@aph.gov.au;senator.thorpe@aph.gov.au;senator.tyrrell@aph.gov.au;senator.urquhart@aph.gov.au;senator.van@aph.gov.au;senator.walsh@aph.gov.au;senator.waters@aph.gov.au;senator.watt@aph.gov.au;senator.whish-wilson@aph.gov.au;senator.wong@aph.gov.au
Thank you so much, Paul! I will edit the post to include these emails. What a lot of time you saved me (and others!)