Optus will participate in Internet filtering trial
April 22, 2009 – 3:21 pmJournalists (and other reliable sources) on Twitter are reporting that Senator Conroy’s office has announced Optus will participate in the DBCDE ISP filtering trial. A media release was emailed from Conroy’s office this afternoon, but has not been published on his site yet.
Update (3:42PM): Press release published on minister’s site.
Here are excerpts from the release:
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today announced that Optus will participate in the Australian Government’s Internet Service Provider (ISP) filtering pilot.
“Optus is an active participant in the cyber-safety space, with a range of initiatives to help Australian families enjoy a safer internet experience,” Senator Conroy said. “I am pleased to announce its participation in the pilot.”
“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.”
[...]
The Government is also working constructively with Telstra on the technical testing of ISP filtering technologies. These tests do not involve actual customers and therefore are not being conducted as part of the pilot, however it is hoped that the results will feed into the Government’s policy considerations.
For the purposes of the pilot, Optus will filter the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA) existing blacklist of prohibited and potentially prohibited content for a selection of its customers who volunteer to participate.
The Government is examining the introduction of ISP level filtering for Refused Classification material as identified under the National Classification Scheme and the ACMA complaints process. Refused Classification material 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.
14 Responses to “Optus will participate in Internet filtering trial”
This is a reminder that the Australian Computer Society are holding an “event” this Friday relating to “What NBN could have been”
http://www.acs.org.au/index.cfm?action=event&area=9001&temID=eventdetails&eveID=10133342699902
Before his current role of General Manager, Network Technology at Hutchinson Telecommunications Australia, for the previous four years he was an integral part of the Optus Networks Senior Leadership Team (SLT), reporting directly to the Networks Managing Director as the Head of the Technology and Planning Group.
Peter has operated as the lead architect and technologist for Optus Networks over these four years, and as a notable public speaker, provided presentations at national and international conferences, as well as strategic technology presentations to Optus Business & Wholesale Customers and Optus Staff.
Venue:
Level 1, 280 Pitt Street Sydney
(Sydney Mechanics School of Arts- In between Park & Bathurst St)
Date:
Friday 24 April 2009
Time:
12:15pm for 12:30pm start – 1:30pm
It is important to register. I have already done so. This ACS “event” is free both to members and non members of the Society but registration is required.
Who knows ? Some information regarding this might be gleaned from the meeting.
Bob
By Bob Bain on Apr 22, 2009
Now I have even more reason to jump ship from Optus.
By Eddie on Apr 22, 2009
With a large provider on-board the filters will at last be proven to be unworkable and a blatant waste of money. This is a good thing.
By mikezombie777 on Apr 22, 2009
That wasn’t all that was released today. The Filter Testing FAQs from ISPs was published
http://www.dbcde.gov.au/communications_for_consumers/funding_programs__and__support/cybersafety_plan/internet_service_provider_isp_filtering/isp_filtering_live_pilot/questions_and_answers
It’s fairly clear that there’s no consistent design criteria or testing methodology. What will Enex be looking for exactly?
No mention of the censorware vendors lining up for their windfall profits after all that lobbying they’ve had to do.
ACMA also released the Report on Internet Filtering.
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311304
It is still using debunked stats on child porn and using incorrect data. They do not consider any other method of dealing with the internet. There’s a great deal about civility and cyber etiquette. Some on education, including some cute software for kids. It’s one of the best examples I’ve seen of How the Government uses Dirty Data to Legislate on Morality from http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/10/dirty_data/
The Harvard “Cyber Safety Concerns Overstated” report is conspicuous by its absence. http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/pubrelease/isttf/
Almost all references are the same as used by the UK and some EU countries – none of which are using ISP level censorship on a mandatory basis.
By GW on Apr 22, 2009
@GW: That wasn’t all that was released today. The Filter Testing FAQs from ISPs was published
http://www.dbcde.gov.au/communications_for_consumers/funding_programs__and__support/cybersafety_plan/internet_service_provider_isp_filtering/isp_filtering_live_pilot/questions_and_answers
It’s fairly clear that there’s no consistent design criteria or testing methodology. What will Enex be looking for exactly?
—————————
… and at the bottom the quandry of what to do if a website is on the blacklist and blocked and I quote….
23. What is the expected behaviour of an internet service that attempts to reach blocked content, should:
a) A page showing ‘content blocked by filter’ or equivalent be displayed, which would leak the contents of the ACMA list to users?
b) The page to not load, which would probably prompt the end user to call the ISP’s technical support?
c) The attempt to reach blocked content be logged?
d) Something else or a combination of the above happens?
a) will leak the blacklist to Internet users
b) will cause confusion for ISP help desks
c) I’m not sure that logging can be done without invoking either a) or b) and as “RC” material is perfectly legal to purchase and own in most States of Australia it isn’t illegal material and therefore shouldn’t be blocked. If they go back to the drawing board they might like to look at the guidelines and redraft them and change the laws to reflect reality rather than simply stating “It’s RC thereefore it’s bad”.
d) says thet they haven’t a clue what they are attempting to do…
Bob
By Bob Bain on Apr 23, 2009
Didn’t I read that both Optus and iPrimus slammed the mandatory filtering proposal? Optus is only participate just to prove that it won’t work, methinks.
By Glenn on Apr 23, 2009
No, Glenn, iPrimus have been in favour of this from the start. They used to offer Webshield-style filtering as an extra service for those who wanted it, but stopped a while back – most likely because it wasn’t profitable enough. Now, their CEO and press departments are all smiles about the idea of bringing it back.
The ISP you’re thinking of that was only trying to participate to prove it wasn’t possible was iiNet, but they were rejected for wanting to do a properly scientific double-blind test.
By Toejam on Apr 23, 2009
Yep. Thought so. After all that’s happened recently, with Conroy on Q&A, Insight and such and being made to look not quite the child-porn abolishing hero he wants us to think he is, the Minister’s line has still not changed one iota. Mr. Conroy will have his mandatory clean feed, whether anyone else wants it or not.
The expectation of “robust results” after the trial says it all. In other words, the results will favour a technically feasible outcome, as far as the DBCDE is concerned. That much has already been ascertained.
Folks, reckon we’d better get ready for a clean-fed internet. Lest the Senate save us. But get ready for a double dissolution first (alcopops tax) before a clean-feed gets through.
By Daniel on Apr 24, 2009
“Folks, reckon we’d better get ready for a clean-fed internet.”
Nah. Unless the government is planning on breaking ALL encrypted connections with a man-in-the-middle attack (and you would know if that happened), or just banning them outright (which is simply not possible if they want legit commercial internet activity to continue), then their plan will amount to diddly squat, just bullshit window-dressing feel-good propaganda, completely useless at achieving what they claim it will.
It is a joke.
By Gabba on Apr 25, 2009
“their plan will amount to diddly squat, just bullshit window-dressing feel-good propaganda, completely useless at achieving what they claim it will.”
But will that stop them from doing it?
I doubt it.
Democracy is all about propaganda. It’s what you can persuade people you’re doing that counts… not what you actually do.
By HTA on Apr 25, 2009
It all boils down to the fact that they can’t do any serious filtering without breaking or banning encrypted connections. No other fact really matters in this debate.
Try asking Senator Conroy what the government is planning to do about encrypted connections, and watch him change subject immediately, completely avoid the question, and start blathering on about protecting the kiddies.
I do not believe for a second that they can spin their way out of this one. The general public has already made it very clear that they seriously unimpressed by this plan. The government have effectively already lost the debate. Now they are just trying to save face and minimise the humiliation and political cost.
By Gabba on Apr 25, 2009
“Refused Classification material 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.”
This is the first time they’ve detailed what “RC” pertains to. Usually they give a vague answer like – “Anything that goes against the morals of a standard person” or something similar.
By John on Apr 25, 2009
So Optus was more than happy to do their master’s bidding. This is one ISP that I refuse to sign up to.
I am with iPrimus, which is participating in the filtering trials, but I am already considering jumping ship.
Bad move, Optus, very bad move.
By Glenn on Apr 27, 2009
Just don’t churn to Exetel:
http://steve.blogs.exetel.com.au/index.php?/archives/186-Content-Filtering.html
http://steve.blogs.exetel.com.au/index.php?/archives/187-Content-Filtering-Opt-InOpt-Out.html
By Toejam on Apr 28, 2009