Government to start a blog watch

The Federal Government will now monitor blogs on the internet as part of a new digital monitoring strategy, and documents criticising Communications Minister Stephen Conroy will get special attention.

Just after Conroy praised the Singapore Government recently for backing down on its blog-monitoring activities, documents from the Department of Broadband, Communications the Digital Economy show it is looking for a “comprehensive digital monitoring service for print and electronic media”.

The monitoring service will target “blogs such as Whirlpool”, which is a forum for internet and broadband users. The forum has been a haven for criticism of Conroy’s plans for mandatory internet filtering, and plans for the national broadband network.

Opposition communications spokesman Nick Minchin says the move is “extreme”.

“The Minister has been caught out telling an important international audience one thing, while at the same time putting the wheels in motion back home to use taxpayers’ money to do the complete opposite,” he said.