madison

Australia mulls mandatory ISP filtering

Liam Tung ZDNet Australia | December 15, 2009 7:04 AM PST

Summary

Mandatory ISP filtering legislation is expected to be introduced around the middle of 2010, after which there will be a one year period to implement and activate the filtering technology.
Mandatory ISP filtering legislation is expected to be introduced around the middle of 2010, after which there will be a one year period to implement and activate the filtering technology.

The Federal Government today announced it will introduce amendments to the Broadcasting Services Act, which will by 2011 require all ISPs to block refused classification-rated material hosted on overseas servers.

As part of the new legislation, the government intends to explore what additional process could be implemented around how websites are added to the government's "Refused Classification" list.

It appears though that the government has already decided how the Refused Classification list will be generated, indicating it would be compiled via "public complaints mechanism". It is not clear yet what this mechanism is. Other sources for the new RC list would include known URLs shared between international agencies.

For more, read "Mandatory ISP filter due mid-2011" from ZDNet Australia.

Talkback Most Recent of 27 Talkback(s)

  • And, just out of curiosity,
    who is going to pay for that?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Beat a Dead Horse
    15th Dec 2009
  • The taxpayers, that's who
    Especially the ones with the head-up-their-butt attitude that are willing to trade away freedoms in exchange for some sort of pre-sold, milksop notion that the government is protecting its citizenry. Hogwash. Let the army take care of that. The rest is just the government being too lazy or ineffective to strike strongly enforced anti-kiddie porn deals with other governments.

    "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Skibum
    15th Dec 2009
  • RE: Australia mulls mandatory ISP filtering
    Governments have been drooling over the idea of controlling the information flow on the internet. Just how benign do you think this government oversight will be, eh?

    Just like all the folks on 'do not fly' lists that have not done anything wrong but whose names are similar to bad guys and can't get off the damn lists, this will degenerate into a hate list. I guarantee it.

    Those who are ignorant of history are doomed to relive it. - Carlos Castenada
    ZDNet Gravatar
    wizardjr
    15th Dec 2009
  • RE: Australia mulls mandatory ISP filtering
    This Orwellian 1984ish concept should make everyone spitting and stuffing mad. Government has no business in "filtering" anyone except for its own users internally. As far as the public usage is concerned, I would not ever condone the use of filtering publically except for maybe in a public library where kids are using computers.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Evisscerator
    15th Dec 2009
  • RE: Australia mulls mandatory ISP filtering
    More and more the Australian government is looking like a 1984 style Big Brother. Not that long ago they outlawed individual ownership of guns without their approval.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    DustyU
    15th Dec 2009
  • RE: Australia mulls mandatory ISP filtering
    Um, wait a minute. I thought Australia was a FREE country. Did I miss something?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    neverhome
    15th Dec 2009
  • filtered information
    clearly this was filtered information you read...there is no freedom under commonism!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    The Management consultant
    15th Dec 2009
  • Free country
    Sure Australia is a free country, just like the US. And the US bans or regulates a lot of stuff as well. So Australia registering guns or requiring permits isn't a breach of freedom. Remember, they don't have the same constitution that we do.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    boomchuck1
    15th Dec 2009
  • Free Country
    To my knowledge, Australia does not have a constitution.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    felicia@...
    15th Dec 2009
  • To my knowledge...
    Understandable! It's not very easy at all to
    look it up. However, those of us with above-
    average computer literacy were able to find
    this for you:

    http://www.aph.gov.au/SEnate/general/constituti
    on/index.htm

    As public television here in the states says:
    "The more you know..." So for future reference,
    if you want to find, say, the constitution of
    australia, you can go to http://www.google.com
    and, in the big white box that has a flashing
    line, carefully and slowly type "constitution
    of australia," or indeed, nearly anything you
    want to find information about. Often, you can
    click on the very top thing that shows up after
    you hit enter, and you'll be provided with
    exactly the information you need!

    "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day.
    Teach a man to Google and he'll learn how to
    fish." - Jesus Christ Our Lord & Savior
    ZDNet Gravatar
    malenkylizards@...
    20th Dec 2009
  • We do have one
    Unlike the US version, ours protects the politicians from us!

    lehnerus2000
    ZDNet Gravatar
    lehnerus2000
    16th Dec 2009
  • RE: Australia mulls mandatory ISP filtering
    Yet another reason not to move there now happy Thanks
    Aussies.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Jayton
    15th Dec 2009
  • RE: Australia mulls mandatory ISP filtering
    Our internet is already crippled by distance and
    profiteering on the part of our telco's, so the
    government has decided to step in and make it even
    slower and less reliable. Good one, guys sad
    ZDNet Gravatar
    reg.langford@...
    15th Dec 2009
  • RE: Australia mulls mandatory ISP filtering
    When I left "Workers' Paradise" in a communist country in Europe some 40 years ago, I thought I left that system for good. How naive I was! Communism is catching up fast in Australia - "the land of free".
    ZDNet Gravatar
    jrezabek@...
    15th Dec 2009
  • RE: Australia mulls mandatory ISP filtering
    Why can't it be voluntary? Schools and libraries can opt in and anyone else for that matter...just let the ones who don't want it go on without being filtered.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Lovs2look
    15th Dec 2009

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