FC: Followup: Australians do not have to buy filters

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

*********

From: "Dave McClure" <dmcclure () usiia org>
To: <declan () well com>
Subject: Response from Australia
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 13:55:05 -0500

Declan:

As you may know, we have a strong affiliation with the Internet Industry
Association in Australia.  I sent the item on filtering to my good friend
Peter Coroneos, who represents the Internet industry in Canberra as has been
responsible for much of their saner legislation there.

Here's Peter's response to the EFF hysteria about users being force to pay
for filtering software:

"This is deliberate misinformation - Australians will not be forced to do
anything of the kind. ISPs will be required to provide these tools to end
users.  They can charge if they wish, but indications are many will be
provided free.
Users will not have to implement the filters - that remains optional. The
focus is on empowering end users. It would be a different matter entirely if
users were forced to use this stuff as a condition of access. The
registration of our code guarantees that there will be NO MANDATORY BLOCKING
of content in Australia - as would have been the case had we not got
involved.
The IIA has published a guide to end users on our site that dispels some of
this garbage.  The comment about 'secret lists' applies with any
commercially available filter products in the market right now.
I would appreciate it if you can circulate this information to the widest
possible audience.
Thanks
Peter"


His reference to their "code" is the industry code of practice, which was
accepted by the Government there as an industry alternative to content
blocking.  Hope this helps settle things a bit.  In "registering" the
industry code, the government codifies it under a process they term
"co-regulation."  Interesting way to do it - the government cites a problem,
industry finds a solution, and the government then makes the industry
solution law.  I often wish it were that easy here.

Regards,
Dave McClure
US Internet Industry Association (formerly AOP)



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