A spokesman for Australian Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, has confirmed the intention to block downloadable games, flash-based web games and sites which sell physical copies of games that do not meet the MA15+ standard, Australia's highest rating.
Colin Jacobs, a spokesman for the online users' lobby group, Electronic Frontiers Australia, said the Government's internet filtering plans had now gone beyond the original intention to help protect against the abuse of children.
"This is confirmation that the scope of the mandatory censorship scheme will keep on creeping," he said. "Far from being the ultimate weapon against child abuse, it now will officially censor content deemed too controversial for a 15-year-old. In a free country like ours, do we really need the government to step in and save us from racy web games?"
Ron Curry, the chief executive of the Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia - which is the group that represents the Australian entertainment industry - said the situation further highlighted the need to have an R18+ rating for games.
"It's through the introduction of an R18+ classification that adults will have access to age appropriate material and parents will have the full tool kit to understand the suitability of content for their children," he said.
The internet filtering issue is also receiving international condemnation with Senator Conroy being nominated by Britain's Internet Services Providers' Association for its annual "internet villain" award. Senator Conroy was nominated "for continuing to promote network-level blocking despite significant national and international opposition".
If you are interested in the ongoing debate for the introduction of an R18+ rating, check out http://everyoneplays.org.au/. Also be sure to make your voice heard by writing a (sensible) letter to Senator Conroy and to your local member.
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