Australia Moves Forward With Mandatory ISP Filtering

SYDNEY — Despite calls of censorship, Australia plans to introduce an Internet filtering system to block websites that post “harmful material.”

Communication Minister Stephen Conroy said Tuesday that the Australian filter targets material such as child pornography, bestiality, rape and other sexual violence, along with detailed instructions about committing crimes or using illicit drugs.

Late Tuesday, Fiona Patten of the Australian Sex Party said that the filter would block 95 percent of adult websites and slow down the web dramatically.

"How your can have a filter blocking access to more than 4 million sites with more than 420 million pages and not slow the Internet down is beyond belief," she said.

While the filter would not likely not be in place before early in 2011, critics contend that the mandatory screening system would make Australia one of the strictest Internet regulators among the world's democracies.

Authoritarian regimes commonly impose controls. Countries such as China, Egypt and Iran impose strict Internet controls.

Obscene material already is banned from publication on Australian websites, but the government currently has no control over it being accessed on servers overseas.

Critics also say illegal material, including child pornography, often is traded on peer-to-peer networks, which would not be covered by the filter.

"The government knows this plan will not help Australian kids, nor will it aid in the policing of prohibited material," said Colin Jacobs, vice chairman of Electronic Frontiers Australia, a nonprofit group that advocates public-interest rights in the digital space.

Conroy's announcement Tuesday coincided with the release of a report that found Internet service providers were able to block a list of more than 1,300 sites selected by the government without significantly hampering download speeds.

Australia's largest Internet service provider, Telstra, said blocking offensive sites using a filter system was feasible as long as the list was limited to a defined number of web addresses, but that no single measure would make the web free from illegal material.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

AV in Focus: A Guide to Unlocking Compliance With Clarity

The age verification era isn’t coming — it’s here. Laws are already on the books in numerous U.S. states, as well as in the U.K., France and beyond.

Canadian Privacy Commissioner Endorses National AV Bill

Philippe Dufresne, privacy commissioner of Canada, has voiced support for a bill that would impose fines of up to $500,000 on adult sites that do not implement age verification for Canadian viewers.

Ricky Johnson Launches 'Ricky's Resort' Through YourPaysitePartner

Ricky's Room studio honcho Ricky Johnson has launched his latest site, RickysResort.com, through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Industry Attorney Paul Cambria Retires After 50 Years of Practicing Law

After more than a half-century in practice, during which he provided the defense in some of the adult industry's most notable legal cases, attorney Paul Cambria has retired.

2026 XMA Nominations Party Set for Nov. 19 in Hollywood

The 2026 XMA nominations reveal party will take place at Keys on the Sunset Strip on Wednesday, Nov. 19, with red-carpet arrivals starting at 8 p.m.

New VR Membership Site 'DeepInSex.com' Launches

The new 8K VR membership site DeepInSex has officially launched.

NATS Launches Integrated Content Management System

Too Much Media (TMM) has rolled out an integrated, no-charge Content Management System (CMS) to its NATS platform.

AEBN Reveals Avery Lust as Top Trans Star for Q3 of 2025

AEBN has published its top trans stars list for the third quarter of 2025, with Avery Lust landing atop the leaderboard.

FSC: California's Device-Based AV Law Does Not Apply to Adult

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) put out an advisory today explaining that California's new device-based age verification law does not apply to adult websites.

Reena Sky Launches New Paysite

Reena Sky has launched her new official paysite, ILoveReenaSky.com.

Show More