Australians can comment on the upcoming election safe in the knowledge they will not be breaking the law after regulations introduced just last month are to be repealed.
An Australian law, introduced last month to prevent citizens from posting anonymous comments online about the upcoming election, will not be enforced.
South Australian attorney-general Michael Atkinson has backed down in the battle he was waging against blogs and comment boards, having previously supported the changes to election law.
As of January 6th, anyone commenting on the election had to give their full name and Australian home postcode, but the rules will not be enforced and the law repealed after the election.
"The blogging generation believes that the law supported by all MPs and all political parties is unduly restrictive. I have listened," said Mr Atkinson in a statement.
He described his u-turn as "humiliating", as just yesterday Mr Atkinson had referred to blog sites as "a jungle of criminal defamation (and) identity theft, a sewer of fraud".
The changes were aimed at aiding website publishers should a legal case be brought against the contributor, with a fine of up to AU$5,000 (£2,765) facing those who refused to comply.
An Australian law, introduced last month to prevent citizens from posting anonymous comments online about the upcoming election, will not be enforced.
South Australian attorney-general Michael Atkinson has backed down in the battle he was waging against blogs and comment boards, having previously supported the changes to election law.
As of January 6th, anyone commenting on the election had to give their full name and Australian home postcode, but the rules will not be enforced and the law repealed after the election.
"The blogging generation believes that the law supported by all MPs and all political parties is unduly restrictive. I have listened," said Mr Atkinson in a statement.
He described his u-turn as "humiliating", as just yesterday Mr Atkinson had referred to blog sites as "a jungle of criminal defamation (and) identity theft, a sewer of fraud".
The changes were aimed at aiding website publishers should a legal case be brought against the contributor, with a fine of up to AU$5,000 (£2,765) facing those who refused to comply.
