Australia considers ombudsman to police internet content

'Sensible folk know where the balance lies', says PM Kevin Rudd

The Australian Federal Government will consider introducing an Internet Ombudsman to remove inappropriate material online.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told Channel Seven he would look into the idea, first coined by Senator Nick Xenophon.

“We just see the colliding of the two worlds here, abuse and graphic material online, and businesses legitimately concerned about using the Internet properly,” Rudd said.

“We need to do everything we can to combat cyber crime. The role of cyber crime and internet bullying on children is, frankly, frightening, and we need to be deploying all practical measures.

“If I was a mum or a dad out there today with little kids, given some of the awful events we've seen in recent days, I'd be legitimately concerned. So there's some more stuff to do here,” he said.

Rudd described some opposition to the government’s Internet filtering schemes as “stupid debate” about “extreme civil libertarianism” that claims filtering “means the imposition of Soviet Communism a la 1980”.

He said most people “are sensible folk” who “know where the balance lies”.