Week 9 -Internet Censorhsip & Filtering

Hearing about how easy it is for potential criminals or terrorists to find out online how to make explosive devices, seeing posts made on a public social media site by a friend (aged 14) showing gruesome images, and knowing how easy it is for young people to access, and potentially even post, pornographic images over the internet. These things worry me about the online community nowadays, as it does many people. This raises the view, amongst many, of filtering of internet content, and who should be responsible.

 

Currently, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) oversee the filtering of online content. They are tasked with blocking any content that is Refused Classification, such as child sex abuse content, bestiality, sexual violence including rape and the detailed instruction of crime or drug use, and anything rated X. They must also police R18+ rated content that is without a restricted access system (measures to restrict access to those ‘authorized’, above 18years of age). For any such content hosted on an Australian server they can issue a final take down notice. If it is overseas, their power is limited to adding this content to a list that is provided to ISP’s, who then have to offer filtering software to their clients.

 

In December 2009, Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, issued a press release stating a proposal for Internet Service Provider’s (ISP’s) to filter any content deemed unsuitable. In response to this, many organisations, especially the Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) criticized the government’s proposal, calling it, and filtering in general, ineffective and obstructive. They have stated ’Top-down, one-size-fits-all approaches to dealing with these challenges, such as the government's now-abandoned mandatory internet filter, are not appropriate, nor likely to be effective in terms of outcomes or value for money.’

 

In my opinion, internet content should be filtered to a point, and ISP’s should be the ones to filter this content. Essentially, they are offering a service for money. This service then allows people to access unsuitable content, which should be stopped by those offering the service, no matter the cost.

 

350 Words

 

http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD.PC/pc=PC_90169#os – ACMA fact sheet on filtering

 

http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/bsa1992214/ - Broadcasting Services Act 1992

 

https://www.efa.org.au/Issues/Censor/cens1.html - EFA fact sheet on censorship

 

http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2009/115 - Stephen Conroy’s press release for ISP filtering