The Australian government plans to test a nationwide Web filtration system that would force Internet service providers to block access to thousands of sites containing illegal content, prompting cries of censorship from online advocacy groups.
The proposed filter is part of a $82 million “cyber-safety plan” started in May with the goals of protecting children online and stopping adults from downloading content whose possession is illegal in Australia, such as child pornography or terrorist materials.
But the plan has sparked opposition from online advocacy groups and industry experts who say it would slow browsing speeds and do little to block undesirable content.
Last month, the minister of communications, Stephen Conroy, invited Internet service providers, or ISPs, and mobile phone operators to participate in a live trial of the program, which is set to begin this year.
The proposed filtration system consists of two tiers.
Under the first , all Australian service providers would be forced to block access to around 10,000 Web sites on a list maintained by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, the federal monitor that oversees film classifications.
The second tier would require service providers to provide an optional filter that individuals could apply to block material deemed unsuitable for children, like pornography or violence.
The government says the list, which is not available to the public, includes only illegal content, mostly child pornography. But critics worry about the lack of transparency and say the filter could be used to block a range of morally hazy topics, like gambling or euthanasia.
“Even if the scheme is introduced with the best of intentions, there will be enormous political pressure on the government to expand the list,” said Colin Jacobs, the vice chairman of Electronic Frontiers Australia, a technology advocacy group. “We worry that the scope of the list would expand at a very rapid rate.”
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