Internet restrictions for workers indicate what to expect with mandatory filters

[David Bird]

SEX education, cartoons and classic sculptures are among the website material deemed too risque for Brisbane City Council workers, while Queensland Transport employees are not allowed to view weather pages, which are deemed as entertainment.

Queensland police were denied access to the official Olympic Games site last year; food manufacturer Harvest Freshcuts restricts employees' internet access to online banking sites; and Queensland Health staff find it easier to fax urgent reports than wait for the approval to email material with medical terminology or images.

Websites commonly blocked include social networking, gambling, share-trading and pornography sites.

But some employees have complained the policies are hampering their work.

Nicolas Suzar, from Electronic Frontiers Australia, said the "net nannies" used at work were a good indication of what home internet users could expect after mandatory filters were introduced.

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