Five disturbing things about the Interpol filter

Telstra's implementation of the filter went live last week. Nevertheless, to our knowledge, Telstra hasn't but informed its millions of clients that their Internet connections are being filtered for a blacklist of sites. There has been no mass customer emails that we know of, no press releases, and the telco only confirmed its blacklist filter had gone live when we asked it late on Friday night last week.

You would expect that if millions of Australians are having their Internet connections filtered for a blacklist of sites, that there would be an independent government agency overseeing the process - just as the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Not so with the Interpol filter scheme.

The scheme was developed by industry group the Internet Industry Association, along with ISPs like Telstra and Optus and law enforcement groups just as the Australian Federal Police and Interpol itself. Those who are curious about how the whole filter process works currently have to enquire about the matter to one of these bodies.

This year's unrelenting series of cyclones, floods, bushfires and earthquakes across Australia and New Zealand has proven the value of backing up critical business data. It is vitally important to be able to maintain continuity and customer service in the wake of a natural disaster.