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Aussies chew over enforced Net filters

Police raids over alleged music piracy

Lawmakers down under are considering making it compulsory for ISPs to filter out unwanted XXX content.

The measure is just one proposal currently being tossed around following the publication of a report by the Australia Institute research group, which claimed that Australia's anti-porn legislation simply wasn't working.

Aussie Communications Minister, Senator Richard Alston, confirmed that the Government was considering introducing measures that would force ISPs to fit filters that would automatically weed out hardcore content.

A report by The Age quotes Senator Alston as saying: "There is a lot to be said for taking another look at whether we should expect more from ISPs."

But the Internet industry has reacted angrily to the threat of further Government intervention, claiming that there are already measures in place to deal with such material.

Australia's Internet industry insists it has taken its obligations seriously and is ready and willing to provide the necessary protection families need from this kind of unwanted content.

Peter Coroneos, chief exec of Australia's Internet Industry Association (IIA) said: "The fact of the matter is, that today in Australia, there is absolutely no reason why children need be exposed to the types of content sensationalised by the Australia Institute in its recent report."

Separately, Australian IT reports that federal police have raided a number of ISPs in connection with alleged online music piracy.

According to the report, it seems that police are looking for information on particular ISP subscribers and any music files stored by them.

Telstra, which has 1.4m punters and Eftel (around 50,000 users) were both named as outfits raided by police. Other so-far unnamed ISPs have also been targeted in the sweep. ®

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