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Australia is also banning Second Life photo

Australia's censorship crusade continues! Yesterday, we talked about how the Australian government was about to start censoring the Internet, and today we find out that Second Life is also about to be blocked. I think the country is only one step away from burning people at the stake for crimes of witchcraft.

Minister Stephen Conroy has confirmed that online adult games, including Second Life, will be barred under the ministry's sinister "filtering plan." The censorship will extend beyond mainstream titles and into the realm of flash-based Web games, as well as the previously discussed sites selling physical copies of games of games that exceed the country's MA15+ rating. 

Presumably Second Life is being banned because you can choose to do sexy things if you truly want to. I heard you can do that in real life as well, so maybe Australia should just kill everybody in the country. They might as well have a Holocaust to top things off, the way they're going. 

Incredibly unnerving stuff, and truly a sad, sad way for a supposedly developed nation to behave. This is the kind of nonsense I'd expect from people who are yet to discover electricity. Australia, the rest of the world is disappointed in you. 

Except Germany, who remains strangely impressed.








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Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize. Likes PS2, iPod Touch, Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid, Dynasty Warriors 3 Meet the rest of the team



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70 comments | showing # 1 to 50
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next 50 comments

etirflita's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 20:38
etirflita
oh come on, Michael Jackson just died and you're already posting this shot of him?

Also, I think it's just a marketing ploy to get people interested in 'Home'. If you remove any alternative, it starts looking good.
atastysammich's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 20:40
atastysammich
That's pretty ridiculous. It'ss like some sort of snowball effect of You, the Consumer, Don't Know What's Good For You lately.
Elsa's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 20:47
Elsa
.. that type of censorship is just plain scary (and also remarkably ineffective).
Mr Kite's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 20:49
Mr Kite
I like not living in Australia.
Black Nexus's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 20:52
Black Nexus
its official, australia has failed , for their government doing this, and for their people not throwing the government into the pit of molten copper.
ThunderHeartXI's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 20:56
ThunderHeartXI
There has to be some sort of opposition to this kind of shit. Where is it and what is it doing?
along the way's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 20:59
along the way
Nothing nurtures curiosity like taboo.
HiddenAHB's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 21:01
HiddenAHB
I doubt that the rest of the world is dissapointed.
I doubt that the rest of the world know that Australia have anything more than kangaroo's and koala's.
Naim Master's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 21:04
Naim Master
"...selling physical copies of games of games that exceed the country's MA15+ rating."
Am I missing the point here or is there a gramatic error?

@HiddenAHB
So in one article you complain about Brazil being stereotipized as samba and shanks then you proceed to talk about another country is made only of it's stereotypes?
/facepalm
Naim Master's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 21:06
Naim Master
Change "there" for "it" ... (Oh , the irony)
Jon B's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 21:07
Jon B
It's called a proxy.
Lsage's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 21:08
Lsage
this site might get banned for posting that pic........
DF's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 21:16
DF
I've got money on England doing something stupid related to games now. Anyone else wanna take that bet?

I'll be damn shocked if America has any more part in this spiral. D:
ChristRogue's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 21:23
ChristRogue
If crocodile Dundee was around he wouldn't let this shit go down.
Netnavi's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 21:28
Netnavi
lol don't they have legal brothels in Australia?
jellydoodle's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 21:29
jellydoodle
@Doomsday Forte: I doubt it, The Governments got enough to worry about what with the expenses scandal to bother going on a crusade which would make them even more unpopular. Then again this is Gordon Brown we are talking about...
killatia's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 21:40
killatia
Australia sucking big time when it comes to games. At lease they not completely banning games like Germany is planing.
Endstiem's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 21:42
Endstiem
lol don't they have legal brothels in Australia?

We certainly do... *face palm*

its official, australia has failed , for their government doing this, and for their people not throwing the government into the pit of molten copper.

Yeah, because the power of 'the people' to stop government actions is so apparent in every other developed nation.

[i]I doubt that the rest of the world is dissapointed.
I doubt that the rest of the world know that Australia have anything more than kangaroo's and koala's.[/i]

Whilst disturbing.... half the comments on this site about Australia prove your point. We are not ignorant, racist, backwards fuckwits..... they're just the ones in power.

If crocodile Dundee was around he wouldn't let this shit go down.

Oh, a Crocodile Dundee reference in an Australia article. You sir, should write a fucking book.

There has to be some sort of opposition to this kind of shit. Where is it and what is it doing?

Our 'opposition' just got into power and made this decision -__-'
Velt's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 21:53
Velt
I thought that people in uruguay were stupid but the goverment in Australia... they are going for a record!
In the USA they couldnt because they have a constitution. In the UK they can be as stupid as the germans.
Torquemada's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 21:54
Torquemada
Dear Ausf**s,
I enjoy laughing at your puritanical backwardness. This is what happens when you let your gov't take away booze and porn from one group of people (aboriginals, they're such children y'know). They then have precedent to start banning or taking away other things from the public at large for the "greater good". I toast your douchebaggery, enjoy your FAIL.
HiddenAHB's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 22:02
HiddenAHB
@Naim master
It was supposed to be sarcasm...
Thanks for showing my failure to the world.

PS: I know that the words are mispelled but i have a shitty keyboard and english, and i'm too lazy to read what i've just written so...
Midgetsnowman's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 22:03
Midgetsnowman
Idiots are taking over the world, basically.
Phoenix Gamma's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 22:19
Phoenix Gamma
You know, Jim had to save that header image in order to post it...

Jim officially downloads Second Life porn.
flamecondor's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 22:34
flamecondor
So does this mean they are also gonna ban ebay down here, cause I can buy banned games off ebay.

Fuck I hate living in Australia some times, yes it a freaken awesome country but its soo ass backwards when it comes to video games it shits me.
Turbofail's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 22:35
Turbofail
Fuck Australia.
VisMortua's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 22:40
VisMortua
Fucking pathetic. Any government that takes away as many liberties to their people as Australia seems to be, even if it is 'just games' it all begins with censorship no matter the genre, I sure as hell hope doesn't claim to be any sort of thing besides power hungry and damn right tyrannical in their position.
Takeshi's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 22:50
Takeshi
Goodbye Australia, it was nice knowing you.
motti's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 22:52
motti
So we have legal brothels and legal porno mags, but as soon as it's electronic it's somehow evil? Good old politicians.
Laird's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 23:01
Laird
This is blatant fursecution. Yiff yiff yiff.
Brian Szabelski's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 23:06
Brian Szabelski
Dear Australia,

You see what Iran is doing?

DO IT.

Sincerely,

America
Chronic Logic's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 23:09
Chronic Logic
It's Second Life, who cares?
KraazyCraig's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 23:15
KraazyCraig
I hate to admit that i live in Australia.
This proposed "internets filtering" debacle is going from bad to worse and now because we have an inadequate rating system for video games its being lumped in as well.
We probably wont be missing much with Second Life being banned but that's beside the point
InfraredChimera's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 23:25
InfraredChimera
So does this eventually mean that when people engage in sex in Australia there will be black bars covering up the naughty bits?
SidewaysMatty's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 23:28
SidewaysMatty
As one of the aussies posting in this article, I'll first point out that I am very proud of being an Australian and I wouldn't want to live anywhere, and I mean ANYWHERE else.

But the government sure can be annoying at times. The whole lack of a R18 thing, this internet filter thing, and in certain states (where I live in Victoria especially) the over the top use of speed cameras. Probably a lot more things to mention, but I don't get very political.

Still an awesome country, just a bit screwed over being a gamer.

As for Second Life, well that sure won't be missed, at least by me or anyone else I know. Seriously, who actually plays that crap.
bunnymud's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 23:28
bunnymud
I BLAME BUSH!!!


Oh wait! Too late!
YoTanaka's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 23:47
YoTanaka
World of Warcraft isn't classified because much like Second Life the content is online primarily, so that would count too right?

Gamers cant do what they are doing in Iran because then we would all fit the stereotype: violent kids that train on murder simulators! You know its true!
gamadaya's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 23:53
gamadaya
@Endstiem

"Whilst disturbing.... half the comments on this site about Australia prove your point. We are not ignorant, racist, backwards fuckwits..... they're just the ones in power."

Oh, that's good to know. So then the people in charge will be voted out of office pretty soon then? It's all good. I remember when Bush Jr. was our president for 1 term. He was a moron, wasn't he? Good thing that the American people are not ignorant, racist, backwards fuckwits, and they voted him out as soon as they could.

Oh, wait, that's not what happened, is it? He was re-elected, wasn't he? So maybe that means that when retarded leaders are elected and manage to stay in power, the people are fuckwits who are getting exactly what they deserve. But hey, maybe Australia will catch on quick and boot these guys out of office. There's a first time for everything after all.
YoTanaka's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/27/2009 00:00
YoTanaka
@gamadaya:

Well played, sir. Well played indeed...
Darren Nakamura's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/27/2009 00:02
Darren Nakamura
Well good. People need to have choice taken away from them. It's the only way things will work.
Paul Soth's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/27/2009 00:14
Paul Soth
Then again, SL did have pedophilia areas, before the Lindens shut them down.

No love for SL on my end (former player, perhaps I'll someday write why I gave up on it), but this is way too much.
YoTanaka's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/27/2009 00:21
YoTanaka
Whilst digging info on this douche i found an article which says:

Communications minister Stephen Conroy revealed the mandatory censorship to the Senate estimates committee as the Global Network Initiative....to "protect the freedom of expression"..."

I'm surely no intellect, but isn't this the opposite?
dgschrei's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/27/2009 00:53
dgschrei
Well the German government might be impressed. Everyone else here in Germany shakes his/her head in disgust. Yet they somehow will vote for the same dumbfucked parties when the elections are up in Semptember.
I no one shouldn't say this, but I really start to hate my country.
One shouldn't have to be ashamed of one's nationality. Yet the German government tries really hard to make us. It's a sad world.
SephirothX's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/27/2009 01:02
SephirothX
@Endstiem
Stop taking Destructoid so seriously.
Endstiem's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/27/2009 01:12
Endstiem
SephirothX

Kinda hard to do that when you have 2 dozen posts insulting your nationality.
nebones's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/27/2009 01:15
nebones
I'd be more pissed, but it's fucking Second Life.
Cyanosis117's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/27/2009 01:20
Cyanosis117
My god, what an embarrassment. Still "about to be blocked" isn't exactly accurate, since the web filtering infrastructure doesn't exist yet. Rest assured that the (non-retarded) population of Australia won't remain silent on this matter. Unfortunately, the same government doing this is also building a AU$40 billion fibre-to-the-curb network (100MBit), so we're a bit conflicted.
B-Radicate's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/27/2009 01:27
B-Radicate
Reason #5324987643986749876 I'm glad I don't live in Australia.
gsGaret's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/27/2009 01:39
gsGaret
How can they get away with this? I don't know much about Australia, but this kind of media control is a gross misuse of power and as far as I'm concerned just shouldn't be allowed, isn't there some sort of system in place to protect freedom of speech or something along that line? I may not know a lot when it comes to politics and all it's BS, but I don't think that kind of control should be allowed.
benjaxez's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/27/2009 01:47
benjaxez
it's because in australia, we do not have a bill of rights
benjaxez's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/27/2009 01:48
benjaxez
it's because in australia we do not have a bill of rights
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