Federal Labor's proposal to block children's access to pornography and graphic violence online has been dismissed by the Internet Industry Association (IIA) as unnecessary.

Opposition Leader Kim Beazley today said a Labor government would force Internet service providers (ISPs) to block violent and pornographic material before it reached home computers.

Under the "clean feed" system, pioneered in Britain, users would be unable to access any content banned by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) because it contained graphic sexual or violent material, rated R or higher.

He said the current system, which required ISPs to offer all subscribers cheap or free filter software for their own computers, was not working.

"The reality is that cost and poor computer literacy mean almost two-thirds of parents don't have Internet filters on their family computers… That is not good enough when research suggests that the exposure of children and others in the community to this sickening content can lead to aggression towards women and child abuse," said Beazley.

Under the codes, anyone who subscribes to an ISP must be offered a filter program at low cost (some ISPs offer them for free), or provide a filtered service.

Any user can also report material to ACMA and if it is found to be hosted in Australia and banned, an ISP is ordered to take it down within 48 hours or face penalties.

"No child in Australia need be exposed to harmful and offensive content," said Coroneos. "A family who takes advantage of these solutions will have a far greater degree of confidence in limiting the kind of material their children are likely to access than would occur if we adopt the limited clean feed model."

Coroneos said the problem lay in educating parents and teachers about filter systems not putting in place mandatory systems, which could slow Internet access and raise subscription prices.

"Parents feel powerless," said Fielding. "We know we have to let our kids roam the Internet for study, yet we can't be watching over their shoulders all the time to monitor what they are seeing."

The ACMA is currently auditing the top 25 ISPs, which cover about 95 percent of Internet users in Australia, for compliance with the codes of practice. Any ISPs found in breach of the codes could face court.

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