The Government now claims that it will not expand mandatatory ISP-level filtering beyond RC-rated content.

Readers who feel assured by the Government's claim that it will not expand filtering beyond RC-rated material need only look at what the Government's original policy was.

The original policy was to implement mandatory filtering of the entire ACMA blacklist which potentially includes any material designated by legislation as prohibited online content or potentially prohibited online content. In addition to illegal material such as child pornography this list also included X-18+ material which is legal to own and view offline, adult-oriented computer games and R-18+ content not subject to an age verification mechanism.

If this legislation passes, this and future Governments will be vulnerable to the censorsing tendencies of any minority party that happens to hold the balance of power in the Senate.

Australians should consider whether they want the extent of what they are allowed to read and view online to be dictated by minority interests.