Australian ISP Pulls Out of Internet Filtering Trials

CANBERRA, Australia — The withdrawal of the country's third largest Internet service provider, iiNet, from a government-mandated content filtering trial run has led opposition leaders to continue their attack on the proposed filtering system.

iiNet said it was prepared to participate in the trial, but has pulled out because it believes the government's definition of "unwanted" websites is too vague and the purpose of the trial is confused.

A spokeswoman for Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, who has been an advocate of the filtering, said the company never raised those concerns during negotiations and the government is confident the trial will still be successful without the company.

Opposition communications spokesman Nick Minchin said the trial is looking less likely, and without Australia's largest Internet providers the trial will lose credibility.

"We're prepared to wait and see what these trials show but the government won't commit to independent auditing," he said. "We have the three biggest ISPs not participating. You've really got to start to doubt the credibility and veracity of this trial itself."

iiNet's managing director, Michael Malone, had said that the company only agreed to participate in the trial to demonstrate that the policy was fundamentally flawed, a waste of taxpayers' money and would not work.

"We are not able to reconcile participation in the trial with our corporate social responsibility, our customer service objectives and our public position on censorship," Malone said. "It became increasingly clear that the trial was not simply about restricting child pornography or other such illegal material, but a much wider range of issues including what the government simply describes as 'unwanted material' without an explanation of what that includes.

"Everyone is repulsed by, and opposed to, child pornography but this trial and policy is not the solution or even about that."

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

AEBN Reveals Ariel Demure as Top Trans Star for Q4 of 2024

AEBN has named its top trans stars for the fourth quarter of 2024, with Ariel Demure landing atop the leaderboard.

WOWify.AI Joins ASACP as Corporate Sponsor

WOWify.AI has signed on as the latest corporate sponsor for the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP).

Segpay Adds Gateway Payment Solution

Segpay has added the Gateway option to its direct payments solutions.

Cherry Kiss, Derek Kage Cap AEBN's Top Stars for 4th Quarter of 2024

AEBN has revealed its most popular performers in gay and straight theaters for the fourth quarter of 2024.

A Golden Night in Hollywood: 2025 XMAs Shine on Adult Entertainment's Best

To paraphrase the unofficial U.S. Postal Service motto: Neither rain nor cold nor the chaos of natural disasters can stop members of the adult entertainment community from the completion of their appointed duty every January: to honor the artistic and commercial achievements of their peers.

What Changes in DC Could Mean for the Adult Industry

On November 5, 2024, American voters were called to the polls. The results of that election revealed an unquestionably uncomfortable truth for everyone, regardless of party or ideology: the “united” part of United States does not appear to be holding strong.

Byborg Acquires Gamma Entertainment

Luxembourg-based Byborg Enterprises SA has acquired 100% of Canadian adult conglomerate Gamma Entertainment.

Adult Creative Debuts 'Pornful' Website Management Platform

Web design and marketing firm Adult Creative has launched its new Pornful website management platform.

2025 XMA Winners Announced

Winners of the 2025 XMAs were revealed Sunday night during a ceremony hosted by Vanna Bardot and Ryan Reid at the world-famous Hollywood Palladium.

X3 Expo Day 2 Looks at the Industry's Past, and Ahead to Its Future

A gorgeous day in LA saw a massive procession making its way along Sunset Blvd., as hundreds of excited fans headed to the historic Hollywood Palladium for a rendezvous with the galaxy of A-list adult stars awaiting them on Day 2 of the 2025 X3 Expo.

Show More