News The decision by the The Australian wasn't surprised that the materials The Launch in Sydney this month of Broadcasting Authority (ABA) to had been relocated offshore and the new Commander® Vision phone impose licence conditions on Sydney acknowledged that they were aware system by PlesTel is a further mani­ Radio Station 2UE was welcomed by that relocation to an offshore host festation of the shift towards globali­ the CLC, who had played an active was an option for offending sites. sation in the telecommunications role during the 19-day inquiry in Several sites with sexually explicit industry. The Commander is a hybrid October to December last year. materials moved offshore prior to telephone system designed and January 1 in anticipation of the new manufactured by Irish technology CLC’s Julie Eisenburg said that the law, he said. company, Lake Communications and conditions imposed involved clear marketed in Australia by PlesTel - an and frequent disclosure of relevant Nugent expects the number of com­ alliance of the South African company, commercial interests, backed up by plaints to increase with the implemen­ Plessey (70%) and Telstra (30%). The a compliance program. In addition, tation of a hard copy and online ban­ market targeted by Plestel is small to the requirement that the Web site ner advertising campaign to inform medium-sized businesses in rural and and physical registers of interest the targeted areas of concern about outback Australia. to disclose the broad financial the ABA hotline. arrangements means listeners will Will the marketing power of the old get the full picture about which media companies succeed in captur­ Reporting the story of the first ABA commercial interests are behind ing the biggest slice of the local and take-down order, front-line American 2UE presenters and producers, international calls market? One.Tel - news service, WiredNews headlined she said. with its big shareholders Packer PBL the story as "The Aussies Went and and News Ltd - have a current Done It" (http:www.wired.com/news/ Four interim take-down orders for television advertising campaign which politics/0,1283,33750,00.html). The sexually explicit materials located on has a $40 million budget compared to outcome follows years of speculation Australian-based Web sites have been the smaller, innovative AAPT, which by the pioneering World Wide Web issued by the ABA since the new has a monthly marketing budget of community who have monitored Online Services Act took effect from $1 million. In TV viewing terms, this endeavours by governments to January 1, 2000. translates broadly into repetitive 90- regulate the Internet. second commercial times for One.Tel The first site to be issued with an compared to notably less frequent order - http://www.teenager.com.au/ - Seven Network's Kerry Stokes 15-second commercials by AAPT. was relocated to an offshore server further fuelled the argument about on January 20, within 24 hours of the regulation of the Internet by pronounc­ Online security matters: US Attorney take-down notice. In so doing it ing on Radio National's Media Report General, Janet Reno, revealed details retained the same web address on February 3 that the Internet on January 10 of a new anti-cyber­ (URL) which it had when served from was not capable of being regulated. crime scheme, LawNet. She told the a local server. Following the issue of Web developers and content National Association of Attorneys notices to the content hosts, the creators argue that it cannot while General at Stanford University the offending materials are referred to simultaneously the Australian - program would include computer the Office of Film and Literature as well as other governments - crime prosecutors and investigators, Classification Board. seek to maintain an equivalent regional forensic computer laborato­ level of control to that which can ries, and a new interstate agreement Steven Nugent, ABA's Manager of be implemented across other to help ensure enforcement of cross­ Online Content Regulation said he media forms. boundary legislation. ISBN 0815-1210 Print Post Approved PP236697/00018.