Greens would require ISPs to offer PC-based net filters

Stuart Corner
Monday, 16 August 2010 14:55

IT Policy - Regulation

The Greens propose spending the $40.8m the Labor Government has budgeted for cyber-safety initiatives on range of measures including mandating the supply of PC-based filtering by ISPs, further research into cyber safety risks, strengthened law enforcement, and net literacy education.

Greens communications spokesman, senator Scott Ludlam, has launched the policy in Brisbane with Australian Greens lead Senate candidate Larissa Waters.

Waters said: "Filtering has a role in preventing accidental exposure to material that is inappropriate for a young audience. But rather than filtering a very limited range of material at the ISP level that does not include, for example, X rated pornography or gambling sites, let's place an obligation upon ISPs to offer PC-based filtering solutions that can be customised to block a much broader range of content at the household PC level."

End users would be required to opt in or opt out of this filtering option. "Customers would be unable to proceed with using the Internet until they nominate whether they wish to filter their Internet connection."

For those that opt-in to filtering "the ISP will assist the customer to activate and customise the filtering capabilities in their operating system, or download and configure a free filtering program, or activate the filtering capability of their ADSL modem."

The Greens do not appear to have any plans to fund ISPs' fulfilment of this role, saying: "Feedback from the sector has indicated that this approach could be implemented at no cost to the taxpayer and very little cost to ISPs.

"ISPs that sign up to the Internet Industry Association's code of conduct are already obliged to offer customers filtering solutions. However, more comprehensive consultation should be undertaken prior to implementing this policy to explore whether some small financial assistance may be required for smaller ISPs."

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