The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) spent just over $400,000 in 2008-9 to investigate complaints against internet content and take action on prohibited content hosted overseas.
The figure was revealed in a yet-to-be-published answer to a question on notice from Greens Party Senator Scott Ludlam.
Ludlam had requested the ACMA reveal the total amount it had budgeted for internet content regulation - specifically the maintenance of the ACMA blacklist - at a Senate Estimates hearing last year.
ACMA responded this week with a figure of $424,000 for the period 2008-9. A table of previous year's costs was also included [see below].
The figures were understood to be a proportional estimate of the total budget committed to the administrative unit within ACMA that was responsible for online content complaint handling.
ACMA's budget was expected to increase once the Federal Government introduced mandatory ISP-level filtering of refused classification material.
A web page on the Department of Broadband web site stated the Federal Government will assist the ACMA by giving it additional funding to "enhance the security of the RC Content list" (a portion of the ACMA blacklist) and "automate its distribution" so that ISPs did not have to use manual methods for updating the list.
| Year | Online content complaint handling cost ($m) |
| 2005-6 |
0.304 |
| 2007-8 |
0.442 |
| 2008-9 |
0.424 |
| Total |
1.411 |
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