Dutton wanted this in place “by Christmas”. So, the LINOs (Liberals in name only) agreed to give we-the-people 24 hours to make submissions to the related Senate “inquiry” on it.

That opportunity has now expired.

POSTER BOY

The Institute of Public Affairs poster boy and Liberal frontbencher, Senator James Paterson, has said that he is worried about Labor’s potential use of digital ID to determine the age and identity of anyone seeking to access social media.

The obvious replies are: 1) It’s a bit late now, my boy; and 2) Why the hell are the Liberals supporting this in the first place?

Here is ex-Liberal Gerard Rennick, drawing on Craig Kelly as his source: “The Labor and Liberal Uniparty are allowing a little over 24 hours for the public to make a submission on their Trojan Horse Age Verification.

“Only a corrupt and rotten-to-the-core government would allow only one day for the public to make submissions.

“And what does it say about the Liberal Party that agreed to this?

“The Bill has nothing to do with ‘protecting the children’ – it’s a Trojan Horse to force all Australians to obtain a government-controlled biometric digital ID to log on to X and other social media platforms.”

This truly disgusting. But, then, we are used to the Liberal Party being disgusting.

We all remember COVID, ScoMo, Gladys and the rest. This fresh atrocity makes the Liberals just as bad as the repulsive Michelle Rowland and Julie Inman Grant, two of Albo’s (inevitably) female online policepersons.

(Of course, Inman Grant was appointed by Malcolm Turnbull, The Malchurian Candidate himself.

The great Elon Musk has jumped in (again).

He has taken aim at the Albanese Government’s new social media ban for children under 16, claiming the government is trying to “control access to the internet”.

The owner of social media site X, who is preparing to take a senior position in the administration of incoming US President Donald Trump, took to the platform to speak out against the new laws

“Seems like a backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all Australians,” he wrote in response to a tweet from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Never has a piece of legislation been so deceptive, with bald faced lies about its real intent and prevarication about the means of its implementation.

It is patently obvious that we will have it because it is needed to drive people to sign up for digital ID, a long-held dream of politicians on both sides of the house. Like the egregious Paul Fletcher, the tyrannical Leftie from Sydney’s upper north shore.

The COVID class of pollies just loved the control that technology gave them, all too briefly, during the plandemic. They want to keep using it, forever.

But there are more threats to online freedom than just from the Government.

Brian Marlow of the Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance points out a sleazy aspect of the legislation: “The law doesn’t explicitly require proof of age. Instead, it asks tech companies to take ‘reasonable steps’ to ensure kids don’t use certain platforms.

BACKDOOR

“The problem? If major players like Meta or Google decide that uploading ID is the ‘reasonable’ option, we’ve effectively introduced a backdoor Digital ID for a huge portion of the population.

“Even if this isn’t an official Digital ID law, it will have secondary effects. Age assurance systems linking real-world identities to online accounts will erode anonymity and create a trackable digital footprint.

The result? Australians will start to self-censor or withdraw from online conversations out of fear – fear of being identified, penalised, or even silenced for expressing their views.

“Some argue these consequences are unintended. I don’t buy it. This feels entirely deliberate.

“By letting tech giants decide on the ‘reasonable steps’, the government gives Meta, Google and others the power to act as enforcers, while politicians get to say “Our law doesn’t require ID – if companies choose to, that’s on them”.

“But this outcome was obvious from the start.”

Marlow’s point about emergent self-censorship is interesting.

Philip Davies from the United Kingdom, has written on the Allison Pearson farrago. Pearson, a mainstream London Telegraph journalist, was arrested last week over a social media post (unidentified) which offended someone (unidentified) a year ago. Or was said to have offended him/her/it.

Marlow has this to say about the direction of travel exemplified by the Albanese bill:

“Whenever I see the word ‘misinformation’ these days I automatically translate it in my head to what it really means, which is ‘dissent’.

“Western countries, former champions of free speech, the bedrock of liberty and individual choice, en masse it seems, now want to outlaw dissent.

“What is coordinating this attack on free expression, I don’t know, but it’s real and it’s upon us. We are slowly being intellectually suffocated into not expressing any opinion that others might find objectionable or that might contradict what the government said. If you had told me that would happen in my lifetime, I would have called you a liar.”

THREAT

So, to Marlow’s main point. We will actually get Big Tech enforcing the digital ID agenda, under the threat of massive fines if it doesn’t.

The Government is washing its hands of verification, and allowing itself a big lie. It is providing itself with cover.

As I say, sleazy and deceptive. It is a bit like ScoMo saying – we didn’t force anyone to take the COVID vax. Complete BS.

American star congressman Jim Jordan is on the case, too: “Judiciary Committee chairman demands the White House explain how it would protect citizens from Australia’s impending censorship law, saying it impinges on Americans’ constitutional right to free speech.”

We are an international embarrassment, again.

US journalist Michael Shellenberger, who is onto the Trojan Horse in the barrier stalls, has weighed in as well.