iiNet clears the air on filter

ISP iiNet has moved to assure customers and the industry that it does not support Senator Conroy's plans to filter the internet in Australia, refuting comments the Senator made in a Sydney Morning Herald article.

The ISP went to the trouble of issuing a press release in response to the weekend article in which Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, architect of Australia's plans to filter the internet, claimed to have the backing of the country's largest internet service providers.

"This policy has been approved by 85 per cent of Australian internet service providers, who have said they would welcome the filter, including Telstra, Optus, iPrimus and iiNet,' he was quoted as saying.
Michael Malone, CEO of iiNet, was outraged.

"Any claim that our participation in that consultation process is support forthe Government's policy is an outright lie," he said in a statement.

"The proposed filter is fundamentally flawed, will not achieve its stated purpose andsimply will not work. It is fundamentally bad policy. We do not and never have supported such a system."

Malone said that as the filter blocks a "secret list of web sites" maintained by the Government, without blocking peer to peer networks or online chat, it will miss the intended mark.

"No western country operates a mandatory filter like this," Malone said. "This proposal lines Australia up with Burma, Saudi Arabia and China, and has rightlyattracted criticism from technical experts, the industry, child safety groups and eventhe US government.

"This proposed filter is a waste of money that should beinstead spent on additional law enforcement and education resources."