NetAlert – Protecting Australian Families Online Sydney Announcement and Partnership Launch
In conjunction with National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN).
Senator the Hon Helen Coonan
Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
Tuesday 4 September 2007
It is a pleasure to be here this morning to speak about what the Government is doing to ensure Australian children are safe online.
Internet and opportunity
The internet is indeed a window on the world and has transformed the way we communicate.
Properly harnessed, the World Wide Web has enormous potential as a tool for education, entertainment, interaction and global engagement.
However, much like the ‘real world’, there is a lot online that you would not want your children to see or do.
Pornography, and other offensive or inappropriate material, can be just a few mouse clicks away, and not everyone you meet online can be trusted.
Partnerships
On Sunday, I was at Federation Square, where I launched the NetAlert: Protecting Australian Families Online information campaign.
Today, in Sydney, I am pleased to launch the NetAlert – Protecting Australian Families Online Partnership Programme.
Our partners are supporting NetAlert in a variety of ways, from incorporating information into their internal communication activities, to providing NetAlert material such as informational flyers and CDs to their customers in stores across the country.
Many of our NetAlert partners are in this room and I would like to especially thank and welcome them today.
Community concern
The Australian Government recognises that no single measure can protect children from online harm and, in fact, traditional parenting skills have never been more important.
We also recognise that addressing online safety goes beyond a ‘whole of Government’ approach, given community concerns about issues like ‘cyber-bullying’, the potential dangers of chat rooms and social networking sites, and the use of video-hosting sites to upload inappropriate content, a ‘whole of community’ approach, including corporate partnerships, is needed.
Research supporting the information campaign
In developing the NetAlert information campaign, we have drawn on research commissioned by the Government which gives an idea of what is really happening online from the persepectives of both parents and young people.
There were some startling findings, some of which I’d like to share with you.
For example, 40 per cent of children who chat online said they had been contacted by someone they didn’t know.
Thirty-nine per cent of children said they had put a photo of themselves online.
One in five children aged 13 to 17 said they had seen or heard people bullying or abusing other people online.
And more half of teenagers surveyed said they had visited websites that their parents would have preferred them not to.
With this research and with this campaign we aim to shine the light on a world that some parents are only vaguely aware of.
And, we are providing parents and carers of children with the tools to tailor their child’s internet experience.
NetAlert – a holistic approach
Importantly, we recognise that there is no single solution to potential dangers online. There is no silver bullet.
The Australian Government has developed the $189 million NetAlert – Protecting Australian Families Online initiative as a multi-faceted response that combines real practical help with technology, education, tough regulation and policing to ensure that Australian families can get the best of the internet, whilst minimising potential harm.
In developing this programme, we have also recognised the importance of empowering parents to manage their children’s online activities safely, in line with their own family values.
Never has parenting been more important but when it comes to supervising online, we recognise people need help, advice and support.
National Filter Scheme
One element of NetAlert is the $85 million National Filter Scheme which will provide access to the best available internet filtering technology, free to every Australian family through personal computer or ISP-based filtering and for public libraries.
Law enforcement and prosecution
NetAlert also includes $43.5 million over four years additional funding for the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to combat online child sex exploitation.
And, to deal with the increased activity of the AFP’s Online Child Sex Exploitation Team (OCSET), the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions will receive $1.4 million in year one and $2.8 million each year thereafter.
The Australian Government will also lead a Consultative Working Group comprising government, education, community and industry representatives to address the use of social networking sites for predatory contact with children.
This group will assess the adequacy of current measures for dealing with online predators; and will be required to suggest additional measures to be put in place to help protect children from online predators.
Increased regulation
On the regulation front, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will receive $7.1 million to increase its capacity to investigate illegal or inappropriate online content and to expand the ACMA Blacklist of websites hosted overseas which carry illegal content.
This is particularly important because the ISP-level filtering to be introduced will be based on the ACMA Blacklist.
A lot of offensive content is hosted overseas, so Australia will take a leadership role in finding new and more effective ways to work with other countries to agree on classification standards and complaints investigation for internet content.
Program of support, education and awareness
In addition to the $22 million allocated to the information campaign, more than $9.2 million has been allocated to NetAlert to provide internet safety advice, a dedicated family support helpline and website.
And finally, many of you will be aware of the NetAlert ACMA School Outreach Programme which gives practical hands-on advice to parents, teachers and other carers of children through information sessions held for schools and community groups.
This programme has been allocated an additional $11.7 million over four years, which will effectively treble the impact of this programme.
Conclusion
Our children are our most precious asset.
I cannot overstate my commitment, nor the determination of the Howard Government to protect our children from exposure to inappropriate online content or predatory contact.
And I am in no doubt that this programme puts Australia well and truly in front with a sophisticated and strategic response to online child protection.
I want to thank you all for attending this morning’s breakfast and for spreading the important messages that will help protect Australian families online.
Together, we can all ensure that the internet is a place where children can safely play, explore and learn.
Thank you