Anti-R18+ Stalwart Chills Political Speech Online, Then Relents

South Australian Attorney General Michael Atkinson, widely known in the game community for blocking R18+ ratings for videogames, recently backed a new law that makes it a crime to post anonymous political comments during election periods...and then he backed down amid the ensuing outcry.

As of January 6, 2010, it became illegal to post political comments about state elections unless the commenter provides their full name and postal code. Local media reports said the law applies to blogs and media sites, and may also apply to social networks like Twitter and Facebook.

Initially heated in his defense of the law, Atkinson said

There is no impinging on freedom of speech, people are free to say what they wish as themselves, not as somebody else...[It's really about] the right to know who's making a comment during an election period...It will only apply to newspapers and extensions of newspapers.

But since newspapers commonly solicit reader comments, incorporate blogs and engage social media such as Facebook and Twitter, the law has a potentially broad reach.

Just how far that reach extends, however, is a question that will likely go unanswered. An overwhelming outpouring of popular disdain for the law has put Atkinson into full retreat:

From the feedback we've received through [Aussie news site] AdelaideNow, the blogging generation believes that the law...is unduly restrictive. I have listened...I will immediately after the election move to repeal the law retrospectively.

Atkinson said that until that time, he will not enforce the law, which requires sites to hand over the names and postal codes of commenters or face fines.

"It may be humiliating for me, but that's politics in a democracy, and I'll take my lumps," Atkinson said.

Atkinson's not the only one who should be taking some lumps. According to the Inquisitr, the law was passed with full support of the opposition Liberal Party.

[Image via The Inquisitr]