Malcolm Turnbull says Coalition will not introduce opt-out internet filter after earlier supporting it

Updated

The Coalition has backflipped on plans to enforce an opt-out internet filter, just hours after releasing the policy.

The Opposition document on enhancing child safety online said an Abbott government would force mobile phone operators and internet service providers (ISPs) to install filtering services to block adult content.

But in an embarrassing blunder, Coalition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull promoted the policy on triple j's Hack, before quickly backtracking.

Mr Turnbull later admitted to having only seen the policy a short time before the interview and was doing his best to "make sense of it".

The plans, which would have been a stark turnaround after the Coalition's stance against Labor's formerly proposed mandatory internet filter, were slammed on social media.

Mr Turnbull quickly released a statement to clarify the Coalition's position.

"The Coalition has never supported mandatory internet filtering. Indeed, we have a long record of opposing it," the statement said.

"The policy which was issued today was poorly worded and incorrectly indicated that the Coalition supported an 'opt-out' system of internet filtering for both mobile and fixed-line services. That is not our policy and never has been.

"The correct position is that the Coalition will encourage mobile phone and internet service providers to make available software which parents can choose to install on their own devices to protect their children from inappropriate material."

In other words - no mandatory filter, no opt out filter, but support parents taking resp'y for their own kids' activity online. — Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) September 5, 2013

Communications Minister Anthony Albanese says the backflip shows the Coalition has hidden agendas.

"We saw it released in the afternoon and it didn't last until the evening," he said.

"People will think to themselves before they cast their vote on Saturday - are these people really worth the risk?"

Greens Senator Scott Ludlam also seized on the gaffe, saying the Coalition is trying to sneak the policy in just days before the election.

"This is a complex policy document. It's clearly had a lot of work go into it," he said.

"The idea that they would release it five minutes to midnight so that people will have no time to assess what's in it is actually a very dangerous way to do policy."

Confusion after Liberal MP also backed opt-out system

The backtracking from Mr Turnbull came after Liberal MP Paul Fletcher, the chairman of the Opposition's online safety working group for children, also apparently confirmed that the opt-out system was indeed the Coalition's policy.

"The key thing is it is an opt-out, so it will be open to the customer to call up and say, 'look, I don't want this', and indeed, we will work with the industry to make this a streamlined and efficient process," he told technology website ZDNet.

"The default is that you have the system turned on. You have the filter turned on, but anybody who doesn't want it is free to have it off ... irrespective if you're a parent or not."

The Opposition document said the opt-out filter would be similar to the one active in the United Kingdom.

"We expect these standards will involve mobile phone operators installing adult content filters... which will be switched on as the default... unless the customer proves he or she is at least 18 years of age," the document said.

"[It will also] involve major internet service providers providing home network filters for all new home broadband services, which will be switched on as the default unless the customer specifies otherwise."

Abbott blames 'quality control' for error

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said on Thursday evening that he had read the policy statement "quickly" the night before, but thought it referred to PC-based filters.

He added the Coalition does not support internet filtering and this is the first time anybody has been able to find "a lack of clarity" in their policies.

Mr Abbott also blamed a lack of "quality control" for the error.

"I'm sorry that it was poorly worded but that's been cleared up... we don't support filtering the internet. We don't support censoring the internet," he said.

"We have released, I think it is now up to 800 pages of policy, and this is the first time anyone has been able to find a lack of clarity in any of our policy.

"I am happy to submit myself and to submit our work to the judgment of the Australian people."

Former communications minister Stephen Conroy dumped plans for a compulsory internet filter after fierce lobbying from rights advocates and criticism from the Coalition.

Instead of a filter, Senator Conroy announced that ISPs would be forced to block websites listed on Interpol's "worst of" database - such as those that provide child pornography.

Topics: internet-technology, computers-and-technology, federal-elections, science-and-technology, mobile-phones, information-and-communication, liberals, political-parties, government-and-politics, australia

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