Survey suggests no mandate for Internet filter

Stephen Withers
Monday, 02 March 2009 08:42

Business IT - Networking

Only a tiny minority of Labor voters support the federal government's proposals for mandatory Internet filtering, according to a survey.

As part of its annual broadband survey, Whirlpool asked respondents how Internet filtering affected the way they voted at the last federal election.

Only 1.2 percent said they voted Labor and supported the party's policy on filtering.

The ALP policy proposed "a mandatory 'clean feed' internet service for all homes, schools and public computers that are used by Australian children, so that ISPs will filter out content identified as prohibited by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

"The ACMA 'blacklist' will also be made more comprehensive to ensure that children are protected from harmful and inappropriate online material".

Among Labor voters responding to the survey, over 63 percent were unaware of the filtering policy.

Almost 35 percent said they voted Labor despite the policy.

And what about the optional filtering of non-prohibited material? See page 2.