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New internet filter imposed on all web surfers

Australian internet users will be subjected to the new nationwide World Wide Web filter, whether they want to participate in the scheme or not.

Web users will only be able to opt out of a secondary layer of internet censorship affecting adults-only material under the revised plan and both web filters will apply by default.

The admission, aired in the Senate last week, has been slammed by civil liberties and internet groups, who brand the change a "creeping" and "unprecedented" attack on personal freedom.

The Federal Government announced its ambitious web censorship plan in December 2007, committing $44.2 million and four years.

The filter was due to be implemented by internet service providers, such as Telstra BigPond and OptusNet, who would block inappropriate material as determined the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

Following the announcements, ACMA conducted a laboratory trial of six internet software filters, reporting in June that the software had improved in accuracy and speed since a 2005 survey, but still had significant problems.

The six software filters slowed the speed of internet access down by at least 2 per cent and as much as 87 per cent, the report found. Filters also unnecessarily blocked access to between 1 and 8 per cent of legitimate sites - a glitch that would significantly restrict web access.

Despite these issues, Senator Conroy told a Senate Estimates Committee last week that the Government was now pursuing "live" trials of internet filters. Large and small internet service providers will be asked to participate by testing different filtering technology - hardware and software - on web-surfing volunteers.

Conroy says the live trials will be designed to "ensure that we do not have the impact that some wild claims make", although he admits the Government has not set benchmarks for what is an acceptable level of "overblocking" or unnecessarily banning websites.

The live trials are due to begin before the end of the year, with results due early next year.

Internet Industry Association chief executive Peter Coroneos says some ISPs are keen to participate in the trials as "they want to know for themselves what the issues are and they want to provide some quality input back to the Government on what the real issues are".

Senator Conroy says the Australian internet filter will block access to some sites for all Australian internet users, canning the option to opt out.

"We are talking about mandatory blocking, where possible, of illegal material," he says.

"We are in the early stages, but we are looking at two tiers: mandatory (blocking) of illegal material and an option for families to get a clean feed service if they wish.

"In terms of the policy, what we are investigating is whether it is possible to ensure that people can opt out of an ISP filter if they wanted to look at material that is legal, as opposed to not allowing an opt-out for material that is illegal."

Senator Conroy says guidelines for banned material in both tiers is yet to be determined, with controversial subjects such as euthanasia and pro-anorexia websites falling into grey legal areas.

Electronic Frontiers Association board member Colin Jacobs says this lack of information over which material will be banned is one of several concerns the civil liberties group has with the Government's proposal.

Mr Jacobs says the "creeping scope" of the internet filter was a serious cause for concern and would mean that any internet speed decrease as a result of the scheme would be felt by all Australian internet users.

It is a concern echoed by the System Administrators Guild of Australia, who argue that the scheme will increase the cost of internet access as ISPs pass on the cost of filtering websites.

SAGE president Donna Ashelford says the scheme will also fail to filter two-thirds of internet traffic, much of which is carried over peer-to-peer networks such as BitTorrent.

"Aside from the commercial and technical impact such legislation will have on a variety of sectors within the IT industry in Australia, technical Band-aids are invariably ineffective in addressing the root causes of social problems," Ashelford says.

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