South Australians will face online commenting restrictions when writs are issued for the March 20 State Election.
The Advertiser revealed today that a new law came into force on January 6, requiring internet bloggers, and anyone making a comment on next month’s state election, to publish their real name and postcode when commenting on the poll.
No such rules apply to commenting on federal elections.
The Right to Know Coalition, made up of major media outlets, has described the new laws as “draconian”.
Attorney General Michael Atkinson was quoted in the Adelaide Now report saying: “There is no impinging on freedom of speech, people are free to say what they wish as themselves, not as somebody else.”
As a newspaper and website editor I consider the new law to be a disturbing development.
It will inevitably lead to a proliferation of anonymously published offshore websites that have no moderation policies at all.
It will not prevent comment on South Australian politics, but it will restrict South Australian media in publishing comments.
It appears that SA newspaper websites have been deliberately singled out to verify the identity of all commenters, which will limit the number of comments and the flow of debate, also making it difficult for some people to comment at all.
Ironically, the ABC may not be covered by the same law, because Mr Atkinson concedes it does not meet the definition of an “electronic journal” and falls under federal legislation.
This creates the ridiculous situation where a handful of newspaper websites, including The Border Watch, will face more stringent regulations than other media.
Talkback radio will presumably continue to be exempt from identification requirements. Mr Atkinson, please explain the difference.
Sadly, young people will find it almost impossible to get a comment published on a newspaper website.
Most likely, we’ll have to use the electoral roll and phone book for verification.
Disappointingly, the opposition Liberal Party supported the legislation when it passed through parliament last year.
- Graphic from The Inquisitr
- Update: The Attorney General has backed down and said he will repeal the law retrospectively if Labor wins government.
This is only the tip of the iceberg! My own experience – 30 years – of the manner in which the SA Government operates suggests that the names of anyone making adverse comment will be filed and could be acted upon at any time.
This is no idle statement – both my wife and I lost our careers following lodgment of covert reports against us shortly after settling here in 1976.
The reports were fabricated by a district council steeped in inbred ignorance. FOI has been quietly emasculated many years ago and the covert reports referred to are safely kept from public scrutiny.
My dealings with the state ombudsman’s office revealed it to be ineffective and patronising. Until SA has an independent commission on crime and corruption, this situation will prevail, and meantime I’ve taken every opportunity to warn potential newcomers to the state.