ISPs face new child porn reporting obligations

Internet service providers and content hosts will be required to report online child porn to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) from 1 March under amendments to the Criminal Code Act 1995.

The Minister for Justice and Customs, Senator Chris Ellison, said he had written to all major ISPs to advise them of their new obligations. An ISP or Internet Content Host (ICH) will face penalties of AU$11,000 for the individual and AU$55,000 for body corporates if they are made aware that their service can be used to access material they have reasonable grounds to believe is child pornography or child abuse material and they do not refer details of that material to the AFP within a reasonable time of becoming aware of the material's existence.

It will also be a federal offence under the new provisions -- carrying a penalty of 10 years' imprisonment -- for a person to use a carriage service such as the Internet to access, transmit or make available child porn or child abuse material, supplementing existing state and territory laws.

"ISPs and ICH's should be aware that come March 1, they will be obligated to join the federal government's frontline fight against abusers of children online," Senator Ellison said.

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Talkback 4 comments

  1. I think is a long time coming and Good on the Government for finally getting of their collecttive arses too do something about this sick and perverted crime. Anonymous -- 31/07/05

    I think is a long time coming and Good on the Government for finally getting of their collecttive arses too do something about this sick and perverted crime.

  2. child porn kenneth moore -- 17/10/06

    sometimes child porn pops up on the computer when you are loking for somthing else. i ca not beleive that there can not be somthing done. and how does this stuff keep going on these are just kids. and it realy makes me mad i wonder how many missing children are in these pics i have grand kids and this stuff scares me. what can i do to help stop it.

  3. child porn kenneth moore -- 17/10/06

    sometimes child porn pops up on the computer when you are loking for somthing else. i ca not beleive that there can not be somthing done. and how does this stuff keep going on these are just kids. and it realy makes me mad i wonder how many missing children are in these pics i have grand kids and this stuff scares me. what can i do to help stop it.

  4. child porn Anonymous -- 23/11/07

    yes i can't beleive that you the police we need internet police people who know what they are doing i have come across an incredible amount
    all in leagal sites if i can find it accidently why can't the cops . is it because they only want rich people who they can extort money out of and don't realy give a ****

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