Bernadette Taylor is a very pretty young woman from Perth, Australia, with short reddish hair and a lithe slender body that she enjoys showing off on her adult-content Website (www.bernadette.net). Her Web-persona exudes a pleasant, sweet quality.
So how is it that she is quickly becoming the bane of the Australian Government?
In a letter to the Minister for Information Technology and Communications, Senator Richard Alston, Taylor has publicized the proxy servers and domains of Australia's government supported computers that have been used to access her members-only adult site. Taylor's action was prompted by the recently passed Australian Internet content legislation, a two-part law that includes listing sites deemed offensive to children and then affixing a blocking filter to them. Opponents of the law consider it a threat to freedom of speech because, among other reasons, the filters cannot distinguish between adults and children.
Bernadette's Internet Watchdog site (www.prairie-dog.net) contains several pages devoted to explaining the particulars of the bill and how to fight it, but her pro-active position goes further. "A current total of 4,316 individuals are using Government-provided Internet access to view pornography during work hours," states the letter. 28 other Websites are slated to join her to list of gov.au domains that are accessing adult content. The letter continues, "I hope this helps you clean up the Net properly in all areas… not just the public. This list is currently being circulated to the media as are the other 28 at some stage in the next couple of days."
Domains included in Taylor's list were The Ministry of Defense, The Department of Education, Tasmanian State Government departments, as well as several computers that provide Internet access through the Parliament House. Taylor's contention is that the list illustrates the inadequacies of filtering and monitoring systems currently being used, or expected to be in use, by the Government itself.
"If they can still access my adult Website from a Government PC during office hours, then the list shows that proxy filters and supervision do not work - yet they expect ISPs to do it right the first time or pay a fine," she said. "I do not believe that placing parents into a false sense of security is in any way wise."
