Who's afraid of the Internet?

IT'S AN idea that just won't die: if the government makes your internet provider run special software, all the bad things (and people) of cyberspace won't bother you. This is the view being touted by the new Minister for Information Technology, Senator Stephen Conroy, who is proposing that internet service providers should be required to filter Australians' internet connections against a list maintained by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. While users will have the ability to "opt out", it is being promoted because previous attempts to encourage the use of filtering software have been ineffective — notwithstanding the Howard government's NetAlert advertising campaign last year. The idea of filtering online content has been floating around for more than a decade. But the internet is an economic, educational and social boon to our society. It has brought a wide range of new industries, cultures and social opportunities to users. Moreover, there are a range of fundamental problems with what Conroy is proposing, writes Peter John Chen.

Age 3 Jan 2008