Updated 15/Oct/08: This issue has reared its ugly head again
BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Australia plans tough web rules
Australia is planning tough new rules to protect children from online pornography and violence.
A political party that supports an openly lesbian senator (and Asian to boot) must surely be at the forefront of progressive thought in allowing people to make their own choices and also understand the problems such a technology introduces.
Whilst the goal of ‘protecting our children’ is laudable (and plays well with many voters) there are a variety of reasons why this is a bad idea. I recently wrote to my local Labor MP about this:
I read with some alarm the ALP’s policy on public Internet access
(http://www.alp.org.au/media/1107/mscoit190.php). It seems to me to very
badly thought out and of very limited use:
1) It will fail to prevent access to the inappropriate material. Even the
Chinese government cannot prevent it citizens from accessing banned material
as there are always ways for the Internet users to route around
restrictions.
2) It will increase the already high cost of Internet access
3) A government agency will be deciding what is appropriate material for my
children to see — I want to make that decision myself
4) Some children could be inadequately prepared for the reality of the
Internet as filtering lulls teachers and parents into a false sense of
security. Children need rigorous education
5) Filtering is notorious for preventing access to legitimate material, e.g.
content on reproductive and sexual health.
The one phrase I would support is ” Our children also need to be better
equipped to deal with emerging online threats, such as cyber-bullying,
invasion of privacy, and computer addiction.” However an expensive and
ineffective filtering system is not the answer.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
The reply I received was very rapid, but vapid 
While Labor appreciates that its ISP filtering policy will not be popular with everyone, Labor is committed to protecting Australians, and particularly Australian children, in an online environment.
Labor recognises that while the internet opens up a wealth of opportunities for all Australians, it can also expose people to harmful content from any part of the world.
That is why Labor has announced that it would require a clean feed ISP filtering service to all households, schools and public libraries.
This will:
· prevent users from accessing sites prohibited by ACMA, including child pornography and sites that contain violent material; and
· ensure sites that contain harmful or inappropriate content such as pornography and violent material are not accessible by children.
Internationally, large telecommunications companies like British Telecom and TeleNor in Norway and Sweden are already successfully using this technology.
Labor understands, however, that not all internet users will wish to receive filtered content. Accordingly, adult users may “opt out” of Labor’s ISP filtering policy. For adults who wish to opt out of the clean feed system, current regulation would apply. This means for example, that child pornography or material that has been refused classification by ACMA remain inaccessible.
In relation to the cost of Labor’s ISP filtering policy, Labor has stated that it will work with industry to ensure that its ISP filtering policy is provided at no extra cost to householders. Labor will also ensure that it works with industry to ensure that the costs of providing a clean feed as are shared fairly and that competition is not adversely affected, particularly for small ISPs.
A number of questions spring to mind:
- What is this technology that companies like British Telecom have implemented and what evidence is there that it has been affective?
- What evidence is there that Australian children need protection? How real is the risk? I use the Internet every day and I don’t see ‘inappropriate’ material unless I chose to.
- How much will this cost consumers? The assurances above do not hold water to me.
- How will the decision be made about what is appropriate material?
I doubt we will get very satisfactory answers…
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