Why Link Deletion Notices Might Threaten Your Site

Many of us find the prospect of mandatory Internet censorship worrying, but we often ignore the fact that there’s already a system in place that allows content to be effectively removed from Australian sites. Over at APC, I’ve written up an explanation of how ACMA uses “link deletion notices” to stop links to content it has deemed objectionable. The legislation isn’t just a hollow threat, as it was recently used to remove a link on respected broadband site Whirlpool. Of course, with broader-based censorship (as favoured by the government) this process would become more widespread, and the list of content deemed “prohibited” much longer. Photo from Wikimedia Commons