[Infowarrior] - Australia announces mandatory Net filters

[Richard Forno]

Conroy announces mandatory internet filters to protect children

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/31/2129471.htm

Posted Mon Dec 31, 2007 2:45pm AEDT
Updated Mon Dec 31, 2007 8:33pm AEDT

Senator Conroy says the Government will work with the industry to ensure the
filters do not affect the speed of the internet [File photo].

Senator Conroy says the Government will work with the industry to ensure the
filters do not affect the speed of the internet [File photo]. (AAP: Alan
Porritt)

Telecommunications Minister Stephen Conroy says new measures are being put
in place to provide greater protection to children from online pornography
and violent websites.

Senator Conroy says it will be mandatory for all internet service providers
to provide clean feeds, or ISP filtering, to houses and schools that are
free of pornography and inappropriate material.

Online civil libertarians have warned the freedom of the internet is at
stake, but Senator Conroy says that is nonsense.

He says the scheme will better protect children from pornography and violent
websites.

"Labor makes no apologies to those that argue that any regulation of the
internet is like going down the Chinese road," he said.

"If people equate freedom of speech with watching child pornography, then
the Rudd-Labor Government is going to disagree."

Senator Conroy says anyone wanting uncensored access to the internet will
have to opt out of the service.

He says the Government will work with the industry to ensure the filters do
not affect the speed of the internet.

"There are people who are going to make all sorts of statements about the
impact on the [internet] speed," he said.

"The internet hasn't ground to a halt in the UK, it hasn't ground to a halt
in Scandinavian countries and it's not grinding the internet to a halt in
Europe.

"But that is why we are engaged constructively with the sector, engaging in
trials to find a way to implement this in the best possible way and to work
with the sector."

Tags: community-and-society, pornography, government-and-politics,
federal-government, information-and-communication, censorship, internet,
australia