Australia is stepping away from a controversial internet filtering plan that would have made it one of the strictest internet access regulators in the world.
Communications minister, Stephen Conroy, said more research needed to be done on the filter, which would force Australian internet service providers to ban access to websites deemed inappropriate.
He ordered that it be delayed by 12 months in order to review the inappropriate content criteria. The ban was panned by many politicians and most of the biggest names in ISPs and online business, including Google and Yahoo.
Mr Conroy said, "Some sections of the community have expressed concern about whether the range of material included in the restricted content [RC] category correctly reflects current community standards."
"As the government's mandatory ISP filtering policy is underpinned by the strength of our classification system, the legal obligation to commence mandatory ISP filtering will not be imposed until the review is completed".
He said they want the public to have full confidence in the processes that determine which sites to ban. They would largely be those containing child pornography, sexual violence, and detailed instructions on crime, drug use and terrorist acts.
Google's Australia and New Zealand managing director, Karim Temsamani, welcomed the delay, but said they still had concerns.
"Our primary concern had always been that the scope of the proposed filter is far too broad, going way beyond child sexual abuse material," he said. "It would block access to important online information for all Australians."
