INDUSTRY WELCOMES BLOCKING OF TERROR-RELATED WEBSITES

Sydney, 9 September 2019 – The Internet Industry has welcomed today’s Government direction to continue to block eight websites that continue to provide access to content related to the March 2019 terrorist attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Australia’s major Internet Service Providers (ISPs) moved independently in the days immediately after the Christchurch attacks, to block more than 40 websites that, at that time, were hosting video of the attacks or the manifesto of the alleged perpetrator.

The ISPs and industry association Communications Alliance – who were members of the task force subsequently set up by the Australian Prime Minister - pressed the Government to provide some direction, given that the ISPs did not have a clear legal footing for the action they had taken.

Communications Alliance CEO, John Stanton, welcomed the finalisation of an operational agreement between industry and Government which paved the way for the blocking order issued today by the eSafety Commissioner.

“Australia’s major ISPs stepped up quickly after the Christchurch attacks and, of their own accord, blocked access to websites that were hosting the terror-related material,

“Industry recognised that this was the right thing to do, without explicit Government direction, and we are pleased to see the framework that is now in place as a result of constructive collaboration between industry, Government and its agencies.”

The agreement with Government also provides a pathway to unblocking websites once they have removed the offending content.

Industry players will continue to work with Government on other elements of the taskforce-recommended package of measures, including mechanisms to achieve better and more agile coordination of all stakeholders in the event that this is needed in future.