A win in the filter debate (for everybody)

James Riley
Friday, 16 July 2010 11:21

Opinion and Analysis

There is nothing the Government said in its announced review of the Refused Classification category of the National Classification Scheme that makes its plan for a mandatory ISP level internet filter any less likely, should it win the election.

And there is nothing the Coalition has said that rules out its own plan to filter the internet, should it win government.

When the mandatory filtering plan was first announced, opponents had two broad concerns. The first was that the filter infrastructure could be used to capture content that was broader than had been specified. The second was that the RC classification - the object of the filter - was itself too broad, and captured content that many people felt should be freely available.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy responded to the first concern with a drafting of transparency and accountability measures to oversee the blacklist, and to give a standardised and formalised right of appeal to content owners and users who feel a web site has been unfairly (or unlawfully) blocked.

These transparency and accountability measures were announced last Friday.

The second concern has now been addressed through the announced review of the RC category of the classification scheme. And the review will take time, given it is not only outside of the communications portfolio but requires the input and stamp of approval of the states and territories.

There had been much concern from opponents of the filter about RC being applied to euthanasia sites, pages that depicted drug use, and pages that promoted or 'glorified' graffiti.

So for the noisy opponents of the filter, that's two big wins. They opposed, they were listened to, they got an outcome.

But people thinking this is where the mandatory filtering story ends would be mistaken.

For a start, Julia Gillard since becoming Prime Minister has been given the opportunity publicly to knock the scheme on the head. She chose not to. And then there was Government's Leader in the Senate Chris Evans telling ABC television this week that it remained absolutely committed to the filter policy.

The vast majority of filter opponents will be satisfied that a review of the RC classification is taking place (although they will naturally keep a close eye on the outcome of the review.)