Australian web filter plan criticized.

• Position: CENSORSHIP

The Australian government is testing a nationwide web-filtering system that has been widely criticized as undemocratic.

The plan will require Internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to thousands of sites containing content deemed by the government to be questionable or illegal, prompting cries of censorship from advocacy groups, citizens, and ISPs.

The proposed filter is part of an $82 million "cybersafety plan" that aims to protect children online and stop adults from downloading content that is illegal to possess in Australia, including child pornography and drug- and terrorism-related materials.

According to a New York Times report, the planned system, called the "Great Aussie Firewall," consists of two tiers. Under the first, all Australian service providers must block access to approximately 10,000 websites on a list maintained by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

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The government said the list, which will not be released to the public, includes only illegal content, mostly child pornography. But critics question the lack of transparency and warn the filter could be used to block certain legal topics, like gambling or euthanasia.

The second tier would require ISPs to provide an optional filter that individuals could use to block material deemed unsuitable for children, such as pornography or violence.

But the plan's critics say it will slow browsing speeds and little to block undesirable...