Measures to address Children’s access to pornography
Legislative policy solutions are needed to address the issue of pornography and prevent childhood
exposure to this harmful material. A commitment to do everything possible in the best interests of
children is essential. Society has a fundamental duty to protect children from harm. Public policy
should seek to ensure that children are only exposed to a positive vision of sexuality, one that is based
on the recognition that men and women are equal in dignity. Pornography distorts this view and treats
women as objects to be debased for sexual pleasure.
More sex education?
Sex education at an earlier age is touted by some as the solution to this crisis. Surprisingly, advocates
of earlier sex education often dismiss the need for simultaneous restrictions on access to
pornography. ACL submits that the greater focus should be towards preventing children’s access to
pornography in the first place. Whilst talking to children about what they see online is important, it is
often too little, too late. ACL submits that as a community we must not only teach children
healthy
attitudes towards women and sex, we also need to protect children from
unhealthy
attitudes towards
women and sex.
United Kingdom Model: Child focused ‘Clean-Feed’ Internet Service by Default
A UK Government commissioned report, titled, ‘the Bailey Report (2011)’, examined the sexualisation
and commercialisation of childhood. Flowing from that report, a voluntary ISP-level ‘clean-feed’
system was adopted and is now in place.
90% of the UK Internet Service market share is controlled by the four largest ISPs. All four ISPs have
voluntarily implemented network-level ‘clean feed’. New customers and existing customers now
have either a ‘default on’ or an ‘unavoidable choice’ as to whether their account with the ISP will
have a ‘clean feed’.
ISPs have found that when a ‘default-on’ filter is implemented, as many as 70% of customers leave it
on. There is filter feature on new mobile phones and public Wi-fi is beginning to be filtered. None of
these policies impinge on the freedom of adults to access adult contents, since adults can easily
choose to disable filter.
Policy Solution: Child focused ‘Clean-Feed’ by default for Australia
ACL submits that Australia needs a universal, by-default, ISP-level internet filtering regime, filtering
out adult content and thereby providing a ‘clean-feed’ internet service, for both fixed line and mobile
service. Customers would be able to opt out of the ‘clean-feed’ on request to their ISP.
Telstra now offers an ISP-level filter, but this is an extra-cost, optional product. ACL submits that to
be effective in protecting children, an ISP-level internet filtering regime needs to be universal, by-
default, with the ability of adults to opt out on request.
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