government agencies and online content regulation

This page identifies government agencies concerned with online content regulation. 

     Australia

Within Australia the policy framework for web censorship, like so much relating to the internet, has four features:

squabbles between different federal and state/territory government agencies

the imperative to be seen to be doing something, resulting in what some criticise as gesture politics or digital potemkin villages - initiatives that are packaged nicely but do not address substantive issues

an emphasis on 'co-regulation', with much action the responsibility of the private sector

an increasing concentration on choke-points, with pressure on internet service providers.

The Commonwealth Department of Communications, Information Technology & the Arts (DCITA) - which embraced the former National Office for the Information Economy (NOIE) - concerns itself with 'policy' questions, sharing legislative responsibility with the Attorney-General's (A-G's) Department.

Day to day carriage is handled by specialist bodies such as the Australian Communications & Media Authority (ACMA), the Office of Film & Literature Classification (OFLC) - which concerns itself with ratings and has one of the more arid government sites -  and Australian Federal Police.

The latter, understandably, have a strong ethos of digital 'stranger danger' - give us more money, more cars, more computers to catch the villains (although their success hitherto is uncertain, to say the least).

Statistics for decisions by the OFLC and other bodies are here.

NetAlert is a community awareness body established by the federal government to educate families about managing access to online content, research new access management technologies and conduct "national awareness campaigns to promote a safer Internet experience for young people." It is based in Tasmania and includes a hotline, modelled on the EU INHOPE initiative. There are no convincing measures of its effectiveness.

From 1 January 2000 the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA), which merged with the Australian Communications Authority in June 2005 to form the Australian Communications & Media Authority (ACMA), has the power under the BSA Act to regulate internet service providers and content hosts regarding prohibited (and potentially prohibited) content.

ISPs are required to take "all reasonable steps" - the nature of which is still contentious - in responding to directions to prevent end-users accessing 'X' or 'Refused Classification' material.

The sharing of responsibilities at the federal level reflects offline arrangements throughout most of Australia's history, involving police departments, customs agencies, the post office and the Attorney-General's departments in colonial, state and Commonwealth governments.

     non-government

The Communications Law Centre (CLC), as the name suggests, is an Australian body concerned with the Internet and other communications law.

    New Zealand

The New Zealand Films, Videos & Publications Classification Act 1993 - discussed here - established the Office of Film & Literature Classification (OFLC) as of 1 October 1994, replacing the Chief Censor of Films, the Indecent Publications Tribunal and the Video Recordings Authority. That office works in conjunction with the Censorship Compliance Unit - formerly the Censorship Board - in the Ministry of the Interior.

The New Zealand regime, similar to that in Australia, features the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) established by the Broadcasting Act 1989.

There is a more detailed description of the NZ landscape here.

    elsewhere

The US task force on Tools & Strategies for Protecting Kids From Pornography & Their Applicability to Other Inappropriate Internet Content was established by the National Research Council in 2000 and published a measured report in 2002. 




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