From: Pat Cain Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk,soc.culture.new-zealand,nz.general Subject: New Zealand: Possession of Phrack, etc. to be made illegal Date: Thu, 31 Mar 1994 17:53:28 GMT Reply-To: Pat Cain Organization: Sideways BBS, 04/384-2323, Mt Victoria, Wgtn X-Newsreader: Slnews v0.15 Here's an interesting article from last Sunday's paper about some kids who made bombs from the old `how to make a bomb' files. One MP is about to introduce a bill to make possession of these files (which would cover historically significant documents such as Phrack) illegal. This group of (15-17yo) boys ran a bulletin board that was closed down last year after the police raided them. I gather that after that the boys created another BBS, but it was a private one. They started experimenting with making bombs. I think this article, like many other media articles on bulletin boards, preys on the mainstream fear of technology -- ``the information could be accessed through school computers''. So what? I can ring a drug dealer or prostitute with a school telephone. Obviously the modem at school is not managed very well. Making possession illegal isn't going to help, it's just going to make such files more of a novelty. More kids will know about them, more will want to have them. And it will still be just as easy to obtain them through the Internet, or by calling systems overseas. I can only see it forcing local systems underground. Headline: Computers give pupils access to bomb recipes Writer: Claire Guyan YOUNGSTERS are using school computers to get access to lethal bombmaking recipes. The revelation follows the court apearance last week of two Wellington teenagers who built a bomb using information from computer bulletin boards and imported books. Police said the pair constructed the bomb using a fire estinguisher case and when it explded, fragments scattered 150m, damaging a school and church. No one was hurt in the early morning explosion, but police said the bomb had the capacity to do a great deal of damage. The pair have been granted interim name suppression and were recommended for diversion [community service w/o receiving a criminal record] when they appeared in the Wellington District Court on Friday. It was understood they stumbled on the detailed recipes while flicking through bulletin board information on their home computers. The boards can be accessed simply by using a personal computer with a modem, technology available to most schools. Thousands of bulletin boards operated in New Zealand and police said it was difficult to monitor what information was put on them. Much of the offensive material, including DIY bomb instructions and pornography, came from overseas. Howick MP Trevor Rogers has a private member's bill before the House which he hoped would stamp out this kind of problem. ``Some of this stuff is unbelievable garbage, how to make bombs, atomic bombs, how to trash your school ... it's mind-boggling stuff.'' Mr Rogers said the information could be accessed through school computers. ``Yes, it's happening.'' He was confident his Technology and Crimes Reform Bill would halt the flow of obscene material by making it an offence to possess it. It would allow bulletin boards carrying the information to be disconnected. He expected the bill to have a first reading in May. Christchurch Papanui High School teacher Craig Seagar said he was sure students were accessing offensive material through school computers. ``I've heard some of the boys talking. That's wat their interested in. It's the challenge of getting it from the computer. You can guarantee pupils will try to get into these bulletin boards.'' Reprinted from Sunday Star-Times, 27-Mar-1994, w/o permission. -- Patrick Cain, PO Box 2060 Wellington, New Zealand / Pat@sideways.welly.gen.nz