Internet Content Regulation and Businesses

Week 9 

"Do you think Australian Internet Service Providers (ISP) should be forced to filter Internet content?”

As an internet user, I believe that the issue of online regulation and filtering is two-fold as ISPs should be able to filter inappropriate content, but only when it is necessary to do so. I have created an online presence through this blog and therefore I must be aware of the content I include as I may be subject to any proposed filtering policy.

In the past weeks I have been researching the proposed plan by the Government to filter Internet content through an ISP-level filtering policy. According to Senator Conroy (2009) Internet filtering would reduce the risk of children being exposed to inappropriate material when online. However arguments by Electronic Frontiers Australia (2011) and ISPs have highlighted issues about the filtering system stating that it would not work. Additionally I have discovered that certain ISPs like Telstra and Optus have already begun to voluntarily filter child abuse material, ahead of the government proposed filtering policy (DBCDE, 2011). During my research I reflected on the heavily filtered internet access I experienced while at high school and my frustrations with the filtering. I suspect the proposed plan might incur more annoyance due to slower internet speeds some experienced during the pilot study.

Additionally a US study found that 78% of consumers look up information about businesses online before interacting with them (Intelius, 2010). Therefore, for businesses to be successful operating a website and their online presence is one of their most valuable assets and source of sales. It is for such reasons that businesses need to be aware of the content they post and the potential filtering policy to ensure that they can continue to operate.

Reference List:

Department of Broadband Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE) (2011). Internet service provider (ISP) filtering. Retrieved from: http://www.dbcde.gov.au/funding_and_programs/cybersafety_plan/internet_service_provider_isp_filtering

Electronic Frontiers Australia. (2011).Mandatory ISP filtering. Retrieved from: https://www.efa.org.au/category/censorship/mandatory-isp-filtering/ 

Intelius. (2010). Importance of having an online presence. Retrieved from: http://www.themarketingbit.com/small-business/importance-of-having-an-online-presence/

Senator Conroy, S. (2009, December 15). Measures to improve safety of the internet for families. Retrieved from: http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2009/115