Like the computer, Telstra says “no” – to Aussie Net filtering

By Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Tuesday, 09 December 2008 08:32

Strategy

Australia’s dominant telco, Telstra, has decided not to participate in the Australian Federal Government’s “Internet filtering” trial, primarily due to “customer management issues”, but might still implement filtering technologies in the future.

Ah, Internet filtering. It starts off with promises to filter out the net nasties – but who knows where it will end up? What else will be censored, and how quickly?

Give an inch, and suddenly “they’ve” taken a mile. What can we do but fight injustice and silly Government policies which could slow down our “already slow” Internet, which the Government is trying to speed up through a proposed fibre broadband network?

The Federal Government’s filter trial has two parts – an ACMA blacklist of over 1000 “illegal sites” and an “optional component” of the trial that lists another 10,000+ sites.

But Telstra, being the nation’s largest ISP, has surprised many, including its detractors, by publicly saying that Internet filtering was a waste of time.

Telstra made its stance known at a briefing last week on the National Broadband Network. At the event, Telstra executive Greg Winn described filtering the Internet as "like trying to boil the ocean", and followed this up by saying "as soon as you install it, someone is going to find a way around it".

A Telstra spokesperson added today that “Telstra shares the Government's desire to make the Internet safer for families and children”, and notes that it “offers information to parents about simple steps they can take to screen Internet content.”

Telstra makes it clear that it is “not in a position to participate in the Government's Internet filtering trial, primarily due to customer management issues.”

But even so, Telstra is still testing filtering technology, saying it is “separately evaluating technology that allows the blocking of defined blacklists and we will continue to work constructively with all stakeholders, including the Federal Government, to help provide a safe Internet environment for children.”

So does Telstra truly believe filtering is not worthwhile? I guess it is taking an each way bet at the moment to keep everyone happy.

Continued on page 2... please read on.