No penalty for bypassing Conroy's internet filter

TEEN who cracked Howard's filter will try to bypass Conroy's as well — and he'll be able to do it legally.

A TEENAGER famous for cracking the Howard government's $80 million web filter will be among the first lining up to get around the Rudd Government's as well - and there won't be any penalty for doing it.

The office of Communications Minister Stephen Conroy this week confirmed it would not be an offence to bypass the Government's planned mandatory internet filter once it was introduced.

The admission comes after pro-euthanasia group Exit International began teaching elderly Australians how to bypass internet filters earlier this month amid fears information about euthanasia would be censored under the plan.

Now Melbourne teenager and cyber safety advocate Tom Wood, famous for getting around the axed NetAlert web filtering software in 2007, says he will be among the first to try to bypass the Rudd Government's planned filter "for fun".

Mr Wood, now 18, couldn't say whether it would be easier to bypass the Rudd Government's filter than NetAlert — but he was sure it was possible.

"Well we can't know for sure because the software hasn't been released, but most server-type filters are pretty easy to bypass. The smart people will always find out how and share that information," he told news.com.au.

Mr Wood made headlines in 2007 when, at the age of 16, he managed to get around the Howard government's NetAlert web filter in about half an hour.

Unlike the NetAlert scheme, which offered Australians free filtering software to install on their home computer, the Rudd Government's plan will see filtering take place at the internet service provider level.

That means companies that provide internet access like Telstra, Optus and iiNet will be the ones doing the filtering.

The Government says it is introducing the filter, which will apply to all Australians, to stop "inadvertent" access to refused classification material.

"This content includes child sexual abuse imagery, bestiality, sexual violence, detailed instruction in crime, violence or drug use and/or material that advocates the doing of a terrorist act," said a spokesperson for Senator Conroy.

The Government was aware that tech-savvy people were likely to find a way around the filter, the spokesperson said.

"The independent report on the ISP-level filtering pilot trial found that technically competent people could circumvent filtering technologies," they said.

"Under the Government’s policy it will not be an offence to circumvent the filtering measures or to show someone how to circumvent."

Mr Wood said the internet filter didn't address many of the "real" problems faced by young people online, such as internet addiction.

"For the real problems online like security, privacy, addiction — especially with kids — filtering doesn't help them at all. Given the lack of education and services there are the moment I think that's what really should be given the most attention," he said.

The Government says its cyber safety policy includes "a range of measures including education, law enforcement, research and technical-based solutions".