CHILD PROTECTION OR PORNOGRAPHY PROFITS?

The Australian Family Association today called on Telstra and Optus to join the internet filtering trial to be conducted in Tasmania.

The trial which was launched in launches last Wednesday by Liberal Senator, Guy Barnett, has been welcomed by members of the Australian Family Association.

Mary-Louise Fowler, National Vice President of the Australian Family Association today asked: "Can anyone hazard a guess as to why Optus and Telstra would refuse to embrace a trial which is looking at a means of providing clean internet content to Australian Families? One might ask is it prudent cautiousness, or is the profit from carrying volumes of explicit and illegal content more tantalizing than their concern for the welfare of Aussie kids?

It is clearly apparent that the current system is not working to protect children.

Alarming statistics o children's and adolescents exposure to X-rated, illegal violent and extreme pornography should surely convince the two main internet Service Providers that a child protection crisis is unfolding.

Mrs Fowler asked whether Optus and Telstra care that both accidental and deliberate exposure to extreme, disturbing and violent material is widespread? "Do the telco giants care that many children and young teens have stumbled accidentally on to extreme, predatory, illegal and violent porn sites?"

Mrs Fowler said that it was also very worrying that the present system allowed numerous sites to facilitate many boys easy circumvention of our classification laws to get adult and illegal and extreme content.

There is overwhelming support amongst parents for mandatory filtering, so why can't Telstra and Optus get on board with this trial?