There seems to be, within the Australian users of HN a strong pro-censorship and anti free speech feeling. When the US users wake up, we should expect to see more push back on this story. I'm continually puzzled by the cultural reasons for such but it could be that these users are being honest and unfiltered with their own posts on social media. Perhaps americans are more filtered?

I suspect, politically, that it's because of two things:

Firstly, News Corp which has poisoned the well, it has made these users suspect and distrustful of all media now and welcoming of their governments censorship.

Secondly, it's due to the coronavirus lockdown implementations and associated anti-lockdown protests where the concept of free speech is now associated with harm and danger to themselves and their community.

Culturally, it could be that the users are members of the urban-living educated tech literate class. This class, and class issues generally is a new thing for Australia. Australia thinks of itself as generally classless and equal. I think we are seeing a kind of new tech class but without the informal rules (e.g. filtering, politeness) governing how more entrenched class based societies operate. But as I say, I'm puzzled and guessing here. It's certainly the only English speaking country where the users appear to be both champions of their government actions and anti news. Perhaps theres more nuance.

It could be that these users are actually just being honest and unfiltered in their posts here, which is sort of ironic given the nature of the featured article.