10 July 2008

Society Applauds TelstraClear ISP "Clean Feed"

The Society applauds TelstraClear management for its announcement today that it will block access to all internet sites identified by the Internal Affairs Department as hosting child porn.

The Society executive director, David Lane, says "the Society has been calling for some years for such a system to be made compulsory for all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and is delighted that at long last Internal Affairs has made some real progress. However, the Society wants the system adopted by all ISPs as soon as possible and wants the filtering extended beyond child porn content to include the blocking of all hard core pornographty sites and those promoting "objectionable" content defined in secion 3(2)(a-f) of the Films, Videos and Publications Classification Act 1993 (sexual violence, bestiality, etc).".

The TelstraClear block takes effect today and TelstraClear - which has more than 230,000 broadband customers - was invited to join the website filtering system by the Department following extensive trialling of a "clean feed" system. Other Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will be invited to join, once the system, which is still being tested, is refined.

Statistics showed that up to 90 per cent of 8-16-year olds had viewed adult content, including hardcore pornography, while researching for homework (Dom Post 10/7/08).

See Society's most recent call for ISP blocks 13 Nov 2007 http://www.spcs.org.nz/2007/society-applauds-dia-trialling-of-blocks-on-ch ild-porn-by-isps/

ENDS

© Scoop Media