Joyce: Internet filtering off the agenda in NZ

Chris Keall | Friday March 20, 2009 - 03:31pm

Those nervously watching the chaos across the Tasman can breathe a sigh of relief.

"We have been following the internet filtering debate in Australia but have no plans to introduce something similar here," says Communications and IT minister Steven Joyce.

"The technology for internet filtering causes delays for all internet users. And unfortunately those who are determined to get around any filter will find a way to do so. Our view is that educating kids and parents about being safe on the internet is the best way of tackling the problem."

In October, Australian Communications and IT minister Stephen Conroy announced a $A42 million plan to make internet content filtering compulsory for all Australian internet service providers.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is currently conducting trials for ISP-level content filtering.

Part of the trial involves building a list of black-listed websites under Schedule 7 of the Broadcasting Services Act, which will be automatically blocked by the government-mandated filtering.

Some critics say the internet filtering plan provides the government with frightening powers of censorship. Others say it will prove unpractical and expensive.

The latest controversy revolved around a list of banned websites acquired by The Sydney Morning Herald, which along with abhorrent child pornography websites includes plain vanilla adult content, whistle-blower site wikileaks, a travel agency site and a site maintained by a Brisbane dentist.

Filtering foes were quick to pounce on the list, saying it was a graphic illustration of how any net filtering will inevitably - advertently or inadvertently - lead to heavy-handed censorship of legal content and - if the likes of wikileaks are blocked - impede free speech.

In an online statement however, the ACMA says the alleged blacklist differs in length and format form its actual list - which the regulator says must remain secret to be effectively implemented. Critics says such secrecy about what site are banned further underline’s the sinister role of filtering in a democratic society.

Senator Conroy remains committed to the filtering trial, despite the initiative’s increasingly obvious ethical and practical drawbacks.

Thankfully, it’s not a debate we’ll have to go through here.

Comments

Phew! Let's hope it sticks

The joy of surfing the internet is one of the few freedoms we can enjoy. Even the slightest hint of an introduction of a filter - will open the door to licensing and legislation on the internet and how it is governed. We don't need to turn it in to an online nanny state.
Please don't turn in to another 'money making opportunity'.

Posted by Ian at 04:19 pm on March 20, 2009

Secrecy

I am stumped to think why the list would need to be kept secret to work. Surely if someone wants to access a website and they can't it would be less intrusive to know it is on the blacklist rather thinking maybe that company/group's website down or maybe there is a problem with your internet. If this is being done in the publics interest than why wouldn't you publish the names, showing that you took down a website selling illegal sexual content might even make some people in favour of the idea.

Posted by Gareth at 04:49 pm on March 20, 2009

Common sense prevails in NZ

Sounds like our wonderful communications minster conroy could learn a thing or two from his cross tasman counterpart Steven Joyce.

Posted by Tristan at 06:38 pm on March 20, 2009

loopy labour

History shows that everytime the Labour govt gets into power in any country the infra structure crumbles ,with their social engineering and dictatorial attitude, like how a bunch of ragamuffins control the peoples destiny is beyond belief,that also include the USA so called Democrats with Obama driving his secret agendas he sounds to me like the saying BIG HAT ,NO CATTLE,just like the crappy Labour party in AUSTRALIA AND ENGLAND,not forgetting the recently deceased NZ Labour Party.

Posted by jones! at 09:51 pm on March 20, 2009

Can I move to New Zealand?

I envy you folks to the southeast... at least your government isn't full of simple-minded Christians who think they can legislate morality and who have no regard for our human rights.

This filter is an absolute affront to democracy. Conroy should be jailed and a bill of rights should be established in Australia to ensure this kind of totalitarian nonsense never has a chance to surface again, except in history books.

Posted by Disappointed Aussie at 06:53 am on March 21, 2009

Seconded

Looks like the old migration pattern could be reversed with free-thinking Aussies moving to NZ to enjoy an uncensored surfing experience.

I don't remember the referendum that asked "Do you want the government to hold your hand and stop you accidentally bumping into things that might offend you?"

The millions being spent on this nonsense would be better spent on tracking down those who actually commit the offences this is supposed to be preventing.

Posted by Andy at 06:32 pm on March 21, 2009

We've been there already

In New Zealand, this debate has already been had. The Internet Society of New Zealand was originally formed in order to fight an attempt in 1994 by right-wing christian politician Trevor Rodgers do do pretty much exactly what Steven Conroy is now proposing in Australia.

Posted by Andrew McNaughton at 04:13 am on March 22, 2009

NZ ISP Filtering has Already been Working

Although the Minister did not mention it, a number of New Zealand ISP's covering hundreds of thousand of customers have been involved in an Internet filtering trial managed by the Department of Internal Affairs. This voluntary trial was blocking web sites containing child sexual abuse images only and was very successful. The vast majority of New Zealand internet users were not aware of the trial and it had no affect on Internet performance due to the advanced technology used.

Posted by Peter Mancer at 01:52 pm on March 23, 2009

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