Optus has confirmed it has now put in place the voluntary filter that rival Telstra has had running for nearly a month. A spokesperson for Optus said today that the Interpol filter was put into operation “last thing” on Friday, and has been ‘live’ for customers over the weekend.

In a recently updated FAQ section on its website, Optus says individual customers cannot be identified by the filter, and that reports on attempts to access blocked websites are not kept. “Optus’ blocking solution does not identify individual customers nor does it generate reports on which customers have attempted to access websites that are on the INTERPOL ’worst of’ list,” the updated FAQ informs customers.

Earlier in the month Optus confirmed it would enable the filter “late July” as part of the Internet Industry Association’s (IIA) new voluntary filtering framework. It means the telco, which is a part of the IIA’s Family Friendly ISP program, has now joined other Australian internet service providers including Telstra and CyberOne in voluntarily filtering web content based upon a list managed by overseas policing organisation Interpol.

For a website to be listed on the Interpol list, it’s believed that it must meet strict criteria including having been approved by at least two separate policing organisations in different regions across the world that ensures that sites blocked aren’t influenced by political movements or other external forces.

Not all Australian providers are moving to implement the filter however. Amongst others TPG and Internode have refused to back the filter at this stage, with Internode CEO Simon Hackett mentioning earlier in the month that his company would only implement the filter if required to by law.

“We don’t know, and are not responsible for, whatever motivations are driving Telstra and Optus to participate in whatever it is, exactly, that they’re participating in here,” Hackett posted. “We feel that if the government wishes to pass a law that has the effect of legally requiring us to do something, that’s fine – we’ll do it. Until then, we will wait and watch with interest.”

Primus, which was committed to the now axed Government voluntary filtering scheme has yet to confirm whether it still plans to implement the filter after last month wavering in its commitment for the IIA’s filtering framework.

Image credit: Optus

Related posts:

1. Telstra’s Interpol filter goes live
2. Optus’ filter to go live later this month
3. iiNet CEO defends Interpol filter
4. More ISPs sign up to AFP’s Interpol filter
5. Interpol filter: Does it breach user agreements?

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1. Jason Cartwright
   Posted 01/08/2011 at 3:50 pm | Permalink | Reply

   Haven’t experienced any issues with BigPond after they introduced it, I’d be surprised if Optus customers had a different experience.

2. Justin
   Posted 01/08/2011 at 3:58 pm | Permalink | Reply

   Counting down the days until iiNet implement this idiocy.

3. Duke
   Posted 02/08/2011 at 12:33 am | Permalink | Reply

   So do any operatives at Optus have access to the sites on the list, and if so what security clearances do they have?

   • Tezz
     Posted 02/08/2011 at 2:23 am | Permalink | Reply

     The Interpol list is child pornography, can you name me any company that allows their staff to access child pornography?

     http://www.interpol.int/Public/THBInternetAccessBlocking/WorstOfList.asp

     That really wasn’t a serious question was it?

4. Nightkhaos
   Posted 02/08/2011 at 10:22 am | Permalink | Reply

   ‘no’ Optus.

5. toshP300
   Posted 02/08/2011 at 11:15 am | Permalink | Reply

   @Renai

   “In a recently updated FAQ section on its website, Optus says individual customers cannot be identified by the filter, and that reports on attempts to access blocked websites are not kept. “Optus’ blocking solution does not identify individual customers nor does it generate reports on which customers have attempted to access websites that are on the INTERPOL ’worst of’ list,” the updated FAQ informs customers.”

   that’s a sentence palindrome!