News today reports that Senator Conroy has delay the implementation of the Internet Content Filtering system.
Up til now, Conroy has been campaigning to implement a compulsory internet filter on Australian internet services which would be blocking content under the Restricted Content classification banning content categories such as Child Pornography. The list of internet site was deemed to be kept secret by the government causing outrage amongst piracy and human rights group arguing that legitimate site could be blocked by the government, and possibly censoring extreme views.
Industry experts such as academics, ISP experts, political opponents, US government and a wide range of community groups have contested the policy and point out that the Refused Classification sites is problematic in that, for example,blocked RC content could include innocuous material.
However today, the Senator announced that the policy of a compulsory internet filter would be delayed until a review into Restricted Content (RC) classification was completed by state and territory censorship ministers. Meantime ISPs such as Optus, Telstra and iPrimus, will voluntarily implement child porn filters of their own.
The delay is until at least year.
More can be read here (SMH Article).