10 May 2010

Internet Filtering – What People Really Think

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Research undertaken for the Safer Internet Group (SIG) by GA Research shows that the more that parents in marginal seats find out about the Government’s proposed Mandatory Internet Filter, the less they support it.

Qualitative focus group research undertaken by GA Research in key marginal seats in Sydney and Brisbane in February, 2010 shows that the more that parents find out about the Government’s proposed Mandatory Internet Filter and become aware that other options are available, the less they support it.

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) is a member of the Safer Internet Group (SIG). The Safer Internet Group is comprised of Google, Internet Industry Association, System Administrators Guild of Australia, Inspire Foundation, Internet Society of Australia, Internode and Agile, iiNet, Yahoo!7, Australian Council of State School Organisations and the Australian Library and Information Association.

The research was conducted to help understand the awareness, knowledge and perceptions of Australian parents in marginal seats in relation to the Australian Government’s proposed legislation of mandatory ISP-level filtering of Refused Classification (RC) rated content on the Internet.

The research shows that while parents were certainly concerned about what their children might be exposed to on the Internet, when details of the proposed mandatory filter were explained and they became aware that other filtering options were available, their enthusiasm for the government’s approach dropped.

Their three main concerns were that it is taking away freedom of choice, possible scope creep the government taking over their control as parents. When presented with alternative schemes for enhanced safety online, the overwhelming majority of participants in the focus groups did not choose the government’s proposal. Their first three preferences, in order, were more education of parents and children about how to use the Internet more safely and install free filters; an optional filtering system in which different filter levels can be set for adults and children within the one household; and then mandatory filtering of a narrow range of content (primarily focussing on child pornography).

The findings of the focus group research are supported by the findings of an Australia wide survey of 1,018 adults independently conducted by McNair Ingenuity Research in February 2010.

According to pollster Irving Saulwick, community views on many subjects are complex. While the community does want some protection for its children from material on the internet, he says ‘a review of both research reports suggest there is ambivalence about what should be covered and how it should be done.’

The McNair Ingenuity survey found that 92% of respondents (equating to approx 15.0 million Australian adults) said they were in favour of the Government introducing an ISP-based Internet Filter that would allow parents to choose from a list of content categories to be blocked from access by children.

Also, overall, 91% were in favour of the community being advised which websites have been refused classification and the reason for this.

"What this indicates is that the McNair result taps into people's recognition of a problem, not their agreement with the government’s solution," according to ALIA’s Executive Director, Sue Hutley.

Ends