Net Nanny

[The_Q915]

EVERY Australian with an internet connection could soon have their web content automatically censored.

The restrictions are planned by the Federal Government to give greater protection to children from online pornography and violent websites.

Under the plan, all internet service providers will have to provide a "clean" feed to households and schools, free of pornography and other "inappropriate" material.

Australians who want uncensored access to the web will have to contact their internet service provider and "opt out" of the service.

Online civil libertarians yesterday warned the freedom of the internet was at stake, while internet providers were concerned the new measures could slow the internet in Australia to a crawl.

They said it was a measure usually associated with oppressive regimes and was no alternative to proper parental monitoring.

But Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said everything possible had to be done to shield children from violent and pornographic online material.

"We have always argued more needs to be done to protect children," he said.

Senator Conroy said the clean feed, also known as mandatory ISP filtering, would prevent users from accessing prohibited content.

"We will work with the industry to get the best policy," he said. "(But) Labor is committed to introducing mandatory ISP filtering."

Senator Conroy said the Australian Communications and Media Authority would prepare a "blacklist" of unsuitable sites.

It is unclear exactly what will be deemed inappropriate material.

The adoption of mandatory ISP filtering comes on top of the former government's offer of free internet filtering software for home computers.

Chairman of internet user group Electronic Frontiers Australia, Dale Clapperton, said mandatory filtering eroded freedom and would not improve online safety for children.

"China, Burma and Saudi Arabia and those type of oppressive countries are the only ones that have seriously looked at doing something like this," he said.

"In Australia, which is supposedly a liberal democracy, the Government is saying that the internet is so full of this material that it must protect us from it by trying to block it."

Mr Clapperton feared that parents would be lulled into a false sense of security.

"Parents should not allow their children to use the internet unsupervised," he said.

"Stuff that should be blocked will inevitably get through and stuff that should not be blocked will not."

Family First senator Steve Fielding, who has campaigned for ISP filtering, said he would be watching the Government "like a hawk" on the issue.

"Australian families want more (internet protection) and deserve more than they are currently getting, and this is a real test for the Rudd Government," he said.

A report by the Australia Institute in 2003 showed 84 per cent of boys and 60 per cent of girls using the internet had experienced unwanted exposure to sexual material.

Thanx Labour voters

[ReallyBad]

I agree that all ISP's must have a filtering option - however this should be an option only - if you want it you have them turn it on at no cost - not the other way around.

[.::G!oRgOs::.]

I don't know what the fuck these kids look up. I have never unintentionally come across porn on the Internet.

[Howie]

I agree that all ISP's must have a filtering option - however this should be an option only - if you want it you have them turn it on at no cost - not the other way around.

Exactly it needs to be opt in rather than out. This isn't what the internet is about, governments shouldn't try to control it.

[crawf]

Thats bullshit, I'm not going to allow a government control what I do on the internet in my own house.

It should be a option

[Xaragmata]

Exactly it needs to be opt in rather than out. This isn't what the internet is about, governments shouldn't try to control it.

I can see ACMA becoming a content regulator, not just producing blacklists of "bad" sites for ISPs to
block, but imposing registration requirements on all sites (such as this one); then come the licencing
fees, form-filling etc that goes with bureacracy. Getting rid of ACMA might be a better idea.

[crawf]

Seriously this is just starting to annoy the hell out of me, first of they axe BB Adults Only because of children staying up and watching it and now the government want to put restrictions on every internet connection to protect children.

Like FFS, what about the people over 16!, do we get a say?

Seriously thats just BS, they better axe this plan or make it a option

[Xaragmata]

The OpenNet Initiative on the current state of regulation & censorship of Oz & NZ internet is worth reading,
though it doesn't yet include the new restrictions. http://opennet.net/research/regions/au-nz

Also Electronic Frontiers Australia, which has been around for a long time.. http://www.efa.org.au/

If sites like YouTube are summarily blocked by the "clean feed", then that might affect a lot of the clips
posted on here that are harmless & informative.

[The_Q915]

I Find it extreamly concerning that in this contry we have come level of goverment control, which is only rivaled by contries such as china. The protection of children is given as a sneaky Labour party excuse. This is not for the protection of "children", if that were so the optional filtering software the previous goverment provided would be adequate. Laws will progressevly be introduced increasing what the goverment allow what people can acess or not. Already here in South Australia it is illigal to access over the internet material described as having "adult themes". This could mean there wont even be an opt-out option in SA. Further the wording used in the laws are so vague they can be used to censer information nessasary for decromatic discussion, not just those that are seen as moraly wrong. "Adult Themes" could include things such as corruption, crime and suicide. Perhaps footage of the cronulla riots and allergations of goverment corruption could be cencersed.

If this is the first priority for the new goverment I do not have high hopes for the future. Looks like we will see more social control in the future .