The Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA)
has officially registered the federal
government‘s Internet Code of Practice for service providers and
content hosts.
The Code was developed by industry representative body the Internet Industry Association in
consultation with the Internet industry, the ABA, interested members of the
public and community groups.
The government and the Internet industry have adopted a co-regulatory
approach to establishing the Code of Practice, which essentially means that
the industry will set the rules, and the government will provide the legal
framework in which they will operate.
According to the code, ISPs and content
hosts will have to provide parents and guardians with information on ways
to supervise and control their children’s use of the Internet.
ISPs and content hosts will also have to provide users with information
about the availability, use and application of filtering software, and to
make available at least one filtering device from a list developed by
advice from the Commonwealth Scientific
and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
They must also inform users of their right to complain to the ABA if
they encounter offensive of illegal content on the Internet.
The ABA’s registration of the Code of Practice means that the
Government’s system which was passed by the Senate earlier this year, could
begin operating from the new year.