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About the DLC

The Digital Liberty Coalition is a grassroots incorporated entity which exists to protect civil liberties where they are threatened by the poor administration and application of digital rights and technology.

In 2008, digital rights enthusiasts came together to create the Digital Liberty Coalition. The DLC rallied in capital cities on 1 November, 2008 to raise public awareness and achieved massive public impact using guerrilla marketing. On 13 December, 2008, the DLC organised nationwide rallies in all major cities across the nation in opposition to the Government's Internet censorship scheme, resulting in large media exposure and support. Since then, DLC has spoken out on mandatory censorship, the inadequacies of proposed filtering technology and human rights in a digital world and have held numerous rallies nationally with thousands of people in attendance.

These are concerns that affect all of us. Unanimously, our community--which encompasses some of Australia's most notable digital rights activists--is united in cooperation to raise awareness about the effects of censorship. We believe in the Australian citizen's right to freedom of information, freedom of media and freedom of speech. All of which the current government policy potentially threatens.

Objectives

 

Our aims and goals are outlined in more detail within our constitution, they include but are not limited to:-

  1. Applying direct action and guerilla marketing to raise awareness of infringement of civil liberties.
  2. Encouraging the Government to appreciate that human rights extend to an individual even through a digital medium.
  3. Utilising the internet, convergent technology, and technological mediums to defend civil liberties and uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
  4. Urging the Australian Government to use an objective and rational response when applying its legislative powers in the digital world.
  5. To encourage Australians to seek a constitutionally afforded Bill of Rights in light of its obvious need.

Mission statement

 

The DLC will continue to inform the public and rally against the 'Great Australian Firewall' until the agenda of any form of internet censorship is taken off the table and the globally accepted concept of net neutrality is availed in it’s wake. We aim to do this by bringing together volunteers and interested parties and introducing them to veteran civil liberty activists as a cohesive movement for a much larger impact on the public, the government and the media.

Even by conservative estimates, 18% of Australian's consider themselves regular internet users, using the net as their main source of communication, entertainment, and work--on average spending greater than 8 hours doing so--and by comparison to other national demographics this is a significant portion of our public who are voiceless and unrepresented.

The DLC provides a voice for the Australian people against mandatory censorship and recognises the importance of free speech within a democratic society and are working towards this aim. Regardless of the medium you are using to communicate, it is imperative that our Government must concede that we are still human beings, we are still entitled to our human rights, and that censorship will always be opposed.