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Optus to join in government internet filtering trial

After months of negotiation, Australia's second-largest internet provider, Optus, has agreed to participate in the federal Government's live ISP internet filtering trial. Optus is the seventh participant to receive the green light and will kick-off trials on May 22. Other ISPs that are involved include Primus, Highway 1, Nelson Bay Online, Netforce, OMNIconnect, TECH 2U and Webshield. The ISPs have different commencement dates but trials should be completed within a few months.

Optus will only filter the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) blacklist, which stood at 1000-odd web pages a few months ago. "The participation of Optus will help ensure the Government obtains robust results from the pilot, which will inform the evidence-based development of our ISP filtering policy," Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said. The nation's leading ISP, Telstra, chose not to participate in the pilot but is said to be assisting the Government with some technical aspects.

An Optus spokesman said the trial will last for approximately six weeks , and will be conducted with residential customers in Sydney and Newcastle. Customers will be informed via email and can opt-out of the trial, even after it starts," he said. Optus corporate affairs director Maha Krishnapillai said "We are looking forward to working with the Government on this initiative, and to better understand the implications of internet filtering. "Optus believes the best way to accurately gauge the impact that this type of filtering may have on our network, is to play a proactive role in the trial."

The Government plans to introduce mandatory ISP level filtering for refused classification material contained in the ACMA blacklist. This includes child sexual abuse imagery, bestiality, sexual violence, detailed instruction in crime, violence or drug use and/or material that advocates the doing of a terrorist act. Initially, the Government had planned to use the entire blacklist as a basis for its censorship plan but changed tack in March.

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