687 ISPs invited to secret filter forum
in brief Communications Minister Stephen Conroy's office has said that 687 internet service providers (ISPs) were invited to participate in the protected online forum to discuss issues around the planned mandatory filter to block "refused classification" material on the internet.
"All of the ISPs registered with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) were written to and invited to register for the online forum," said a statement to ZDNet Australia from the minister's office. "Membership of the TIO is a current legal requirement."
The statement said a total of 687 letters were sent, "although some ISPs would have received more than one written invitation if they operated under multiple business names".
Conroy's office yesterday acknowledged the existence of the protected online forum used to discuss controversial issues about the internet filter, but rejected forum suggestions from departmental officials that the government could make it an offence to promote methods of circumventing the filter.