GetUp goes after Conroy's net filtering scheme

Stuart Corner
Thursday, 27 November 2008 06:38

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

Grass roots web-based advocacy organisation, GetUp, has launched a campaign against the Government's proposed Internet filtering scheme claiming it will slow the Internet by up to 87 percent.

The organisation, which boasts almost 300,000 members, had almost reached its 25,000 signatory target when iTWire by noon on 27 November.

The petition,  to be sent to communications minister Stephen Conroy states: "Senator Conroy, I don't want draconian government restrictions on the Internet that will hold back the digital economy and miss the vast majority of unwanted content."

GetUp tells its members that "Testing has already begun on systems that will slow our internet by up to 87 percent, make it more expensive, miss the vast majority of inappropriate content and accidentally block up to 1 in 12 legitimate sites.

It claims that: "The system that Senator Conroy wants is a mandatory filter of all Internet traffic, with the government of the day able to add any unwanted site to a secret blacklist. Already, the wrangling has begun for the inclusion of material relating to anorexia, euthanasia and gambling."

An associated fact sheet states that "Senator Conroy has suggested that the mandatory filter should block access to 'inappropriate' material and 'unwanted' material, including euthanasia websites...Others types of material that are being considered for inclusion on the blacklist are gambling sites (the suggestion of Senator Xenophon) and all pornography (the suggestion of Senator Fielding).

"It is easy to see how the blacklist can quickly become a grey list – a process made even more dangerous by the fact that ACMA's secret list of prohibited material is not subject to oversight, appeal, or review."

GetUp favours the previous Government scheme: to spend $84.8 million on a scheme to provide free PC-based filtering to all Australian families.

"This scheme is far superior to the ISP-based filtering proposed by the Government. It allows parents to track and monitor their child's access to the Internet, and thus intervene concerning harmful content that couldn't be picked up by an ISP filter; it won't slow down the Internet or interfere with online commerce; it will cost less to run.

"Resources should be spent on educating parents about this PC-based filter to ensure that more families can take advantage of the existing system. In addition, we should be making sure that the Australian Federal Police's Online Child Sexual Exploitation Team has the resources needed to reduce child exploitation/abuse on the Internet."