EFA MEDIA RELEASE - EFA Responds to IIA Code of Practice

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Media Release
Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc.

                    Media Release                  March 23 1998

EFA RESPONDS TO IIA CODE OF PRACTICE

Electronic Frontiers Australia today released its response to the
Internet Industry Association draft code of practice.  The response
can be found at:

        http://www.efa.org.au/Publish/coderesp.html

"The IIA Code has been improving steadily, but it needs more work", stated
EFA Chair Kimberley Heitman.  "It clings to discredited ideas about the
effectiveness of labeling and rating systems and threatens to turn ISPs
into censors."

"Internet users look to the IIA to provide guarantees of privacy and
quality of service, not interference with their freedom to communicate
through futile attempts at censorship.  The industry requires recognition
that Internet access providers are not publishers, that access and
content providers are entirely different kinds of businesses.  Failure to
recognise these fundamentals will limit acceptance of the Code", Mr
Heitman concluded.

Executive Summary   
-----------------

1. The Code wrongly requires compliance with controversial tagging and
blocking technologies and does not address reasonable consumer requirements
for an industry code. 

2. IIA is reminded that the industry requires a recognition that ISPs are
not content providers, and the users require protection of their rights to
freedom of communication. Any dilution of these aspirations will impact
profoundly on the acceptance of the Code by ISPs and users.   

3. The Administrative Council is too narrow in composition and the powers
of the "independent" Chair are excessive. 

4. IIA is urged to consider the catastrophic effect of deregistration in
the context of harsh ABA licencing requirements or criminal law defences
based on Code compliance. 

ENDS

      --------------------------------------------------------------
      Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc  --  http://www.efa.org.au/
      representing Internet users concerned with on-line freedoms
      --------------------------------------------------------------
      Media Contacts

      Kimberley Heitman                  Danny Yee
      Phone: +61 8 9458 2790             Phone: +61 2 9955 9898 (home)
                                         Phone: +61 2 9351 5159 (work)
      Email: [email protected]          Email: [email protected]
      --------------------------------------------------------------

BACKGROUND

The IIA Code, draft 3
        http://www.iia.net.au/news/code3.html

EFA critique of the Code
        http://www.efa.org.au/Publish/coderesp.html

DoCA priciples for Internet regulation
        http://www.dca.gov.au/policy/framework.html

EFA response to DoCA principles 
        http://www.efa.org.au/Publish/doca.html
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