That's not really the point though. The fact that a minority of tech-savvy users will be able to get around it doesn't change the fact that it's a very effective measure against Joe Sixpack and his family having unfettered access to information.

More generally, this is why i'm very sceptical of technical solutions to political problems. Years from now, you might find yourself along with your technically proficient minority of friends being the only people able to still access the Internet freely—most of it might have already become a corporate-controlled walled garden. I for one don't want to have to end up living in digital almost-exile just because we were too lazy to Do Something™ now, when there is still hope.

I admit that this is at once probably rather tinfoil-hatty but also almost reality (how many people would be able to find whatever they're looking for if something like Google Search were blocked? 5%? Never mind if DNS poisoning was added to that). We on HN would be fine, but this would seriously impede democracy, given how the other 95% would be stuck without access to information.

Unless Google is liable for 'facilitating' piracy with their DNS server and have to block it for Australians.

Once it has been made illegal, every continuing legal step in the cat and mouse game is easier and easier to pass.

Using a different DNS server is not a "workaround," once enough people do it, it is "escalation" that demands a response.

I get the impression that most ISPs are not really interested in disrupting personal piracy habits if that's what their customers want.

Or run a private DNS server on their laptop.

8.8.8.8 is 54ms away, must be in Australia