063/05
27 May 2005

Making the Internet safer for families

New Internet industry codes of practice to assist families manage their Internet use and to assist in the regulation of content on mobile phones were welcomed today by the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan.

“The Australian Government welcomes initiatives taken in the codes by the Internet industry, as it is important for all Australians to have a safe and enjoyable Internet experience,” Senator Coonan said.

Internet service providers (ISPs) will now be required to prominently display a link to Internet safety information on their home page and provide customers with regular updates on filtering options every four months.

“These codes demonstrate that many ISPs recognise the significant role they have in educating their customers about Internet safety,” Senator Coonan said.

The revised industry codes of practice were registered for the Internet industry by the Australian Broadcasting Authority and follows extensive community consultation.

Industry regulation through codes of practice is a key element of the Government’s Online Content Co-regulatory Scheme established under Schedule 5 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.

The new codes, covering ISPs and Internet Content Hosts (ICHs), were developed by the Internet Industry Association (IIA) in response to the findings of the Government’s review of the Scheme’s operation that were released last year.

The revised codes uphold the Government’s intention that ISPs and ICHs take appropriate steps to protect the public, particularly children, from illegal and offensive Internet content.

The codes also introduce measures for content delivered to new multimedia-enabled mobile phones. The new provisions outline a content assessment scheme for mobile devices that aims to ensure mobile carriers and content providers take steps to protect minors from unsuitable content.

The codes also include a procedure for complaints about mobile content which has been developed by, and has the support of, all five mobile network operators in Australia.

These provisions will, together with a service provider determination being developed by the Australian Communications Authority, provide interim safeguards for access to mobile content.

“This is a responsible approach to the regulation of mobile content,” Senator Coonan said.

Following Government consideration of the review of the regulation of content delivered over mobile communications devices currently being conducted, a permanent framework regulating these emerging technologies will be introduced.

The codes will be reviewed in 12 months to take into account any developments in filtering technologies and any community concerns which may arise during this period.

For further information, or a copy of the IIA codes, visit www.iia.net.au