Australian Customs Now Asking If You’re Bringing Porn Into Australia

Well this one slipped under the radar. Apparently now if you’re coming in to Australia you must answer if you have pornography on your customs card. It’s been added to the end of the question that asks if you’re carrying weapons, explosives, firearms etc. Here is the news story. If you tick yes, “[t]he change leaves open the possibility customs will be able to examine the content on laptop computers and mobile phones.” Saying no (which many will do out of a desire not to have their privacy invaded, or simple embarrassment) will make these people criminals.

According to customs, “[i]ncluding an express reference to pornography is intended to enhance the interception of prohibited pornography at the border by making passengers aware that some forms of pornography may be a prohibited import.” Well obviously someone who has child pornography will now just have to tick yes! I’m glad they’re looking out for our interests…

As is becoming usual in Australia, this was changed by stealth with no public consultation. Fortunately the Sex Party has at least brought it into the news and is campaigning against it. “How can the Minister call this monstrous invasion of people’s privacy and the criminalisation of hundreds of thousands of people who will answer NO to this question out of embarrassment, a ‘minor’ or ‘machinery’ change”? Sex Party President Fiona Patten said in a press release from last Thursday. “If the question was designed to stop child pornography being smuggled into the country then the question should have asked about ‘child pornography’ and not about a product that one in four Australians use on a regular basis.”

If you live in Australia I suggest you at least make people aware of this — eg. blogging or tweeting about this or commenting on news stories to let the public know what you think. I also find the SMH article headline very revealing: “Customs porn inquiry upsets Sex Party”. Right, because obviously nobody else would be upset so the only thing to report is that some “fringe” party has spoken out against it.

I’m going overseas later this year and if this nonsense is still around I may get the urge to pull something. For instance, I certainly consider the Bible as a form of pornography since some of its passages/books are pretty saucy. I wonder what would happen if when coming back from my trip I ticked yes referring to a Bible I was carrying? I might just have to do it to see what happens and document the process. Stay tuned…