Government drops home content filtering scheme to focus on clean feed
The Government has been criticised for of quietly dropping a scheme to let computer users filter the Internet from their home PCs in favour of its planned “clean feed” project.
Senator Nick Minchin, the opposition spokesman on broadband, revealed this afternoon that the NetAlert initiative was ended by the Government on December 31.
The NetAlert scheme, introduced by the Howard government, allowed familes to download a free interet filter to put on their PC to prevent their children from accessing inappropriate content. Its axeing does not come as a complete surprise though. Senator Conroy has previously been critical of its working and costs, and has been pursuing an approach of trying to filter Australia’s internet at an ISP level rather than in individual homes. The NetAlert system was derided after a schoolboy demonstrated that he was able to hack it within minutes.
But Minchin claimed: “This is a further worrying sign from a Government that thinks it knows best. Many people who have contacted my office find this Big Brother approach to intenret filtering by the Rudd Government offensive.”
Conroy has seen increasing protests over his pursuit of the clean feed option despite complaints that it amounts to censorship and will slow down Internet access.
Conroy’s spokesman was on voicemail at the time of writing.
(Update: Blogsite Websinthe has just produced a list of the ten leading opponents to the plan.)
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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