[LINK] Internet filtering a farce: Minchin

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

Internet filtering a farce: Minchin
Fran Foo
September 02, 2009
Australian IT
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,26016116-15306,00.html

Update: THE federal Opposition has renewed calls for the controversial
internet censorship plan to be buried but the government says the scheme
is moving ahead.

Describing the mandatory ISP filtering program as a "farce", Opposition
communications spokesman Nick Minchin said that almost two years after
coming to office with a plan to censor the internet, Communications
Minister Stephen Conroy hasn't even managed to release results for long
overdue filtering trials.

"(He hasn't) come close to actually implementing this highly
controversial policy," Senator Minchin said.

The nine internet service providers that have almost completed live
trials of internet filtering technology are Unwired, Optus, Primus,
Highway 1, Nelson Bay Online, Netforce, OMNIconnect, TECH 2U and Webshield.

The Opposition said not only were the trials delayed on several
occasions, its methodology was beset with problems.

"Several of the participating ISPs announced are small in scale and
there are serious questions about whether the relatively small number of
customers that filtering technologies are being trialled on will produce
any meaningful results.

"Senator Conroy has also failed to explain what metrics he will use to
determine if the trials have been considered a success or failure,
further undermining their credibility.

"It is time for Senator Conroy to end this farce and produce his long
overdue trial results for independent assessment. It is looking
increasingly like the Minister knows his mandatory internet censorship
plan is simply unworkable, but is too embarrassed to admit it," Senator
Minchin said in a statement.

A spokesman for Senator Conroy said: "The trial is expected to be
completed around September with a report to be provided to the Minister
following its conclusion."

Senator Conroy has called on Senator Minchin and the Liberal party to
explain why they don’t support using the latest technology to restrict
access to child abuse content and other refused classification (RC)
material.

The government is examining the introduction of mandatory ISP level
filtering for RC material as identified under the national
classification scheme. This includes child sexual abuse imagery,
bestiality, sexual violence, detailed instruction in crime, violence or
drug use and/or material that advocates the doing of a terrorist act.

-- 
 
Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Canberra Australia
brd at iimetro.com.au