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Telecommunications Free Internet filters for every household
Telecommunications Free Internet filters for every household | Free Internet filters for every household |
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| by Stuart Corner | |
| Wednesday, 21 June 2006 | |
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Under the National Filter scheme, families will be offered a filtered service or a free filter for their home computer either for download from a dedicated website or delivered to them on CD-ROM. All ISPs will also be required to offer filters to new and existing customers at no additional cost. The filters will allow parents to set access limits based on their own family values to protect children from offensive content on the Internet and emerging new mobile content services. The scheme will be administered by DCITA with the support of NetAlert and will accredit a panel of filters for distribution that have been tested and approved by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for efficacy and minimum filter standards. To make it easy for parents to install and operate these systems, filter providers will be required to offer phone support. NetAlert provides a free service for parents to seek more generic advice for Internet safety issues on 1800 880 176. NetAlert will move to be co-located with the ACMA and will receive an additional $5 million to expand its educational activities and to more actively promote its website and 1800 number as a one-stop information shop for parents with Internet safety concerns. The scheme is the centrepiece of the Government's new Protecting Families Online package which will also include measures to provide Australian libraries with free filters so computer corners at libraries across Australia will become child-friendly zones. The National Library of Australia will be required to provide filtering on all of its public access Internet terminals, with the option of disabling the filter when the terminals are being used by adults. The Government says that it will also conduct "a comprehensive national community education campaign ... to ensure that all Australian families are aware of the benefits of regulating their children's Internet experience by using a safe and effective computer filter". The ACMA will undertake a further trial of ISP based filtering in Tasmania, the fourth time the Government has examined the effectiveness of ISP-level filtering. ACMA will also be required to provide an annual report on international trends in ISP-level filtering and will work closely with NetAlert to investigate improvements in filtering technology.
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