Broadband Advisor

Industry professionals and privacy groups rebutted the scheme, claiming it is technically impossible and economically infeasible to implement, police and maintain ISP-level content filtering.

The funds will be allocated over four years, and will precede a trial of content filtering technology by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

The trial will be the second attempt at piloting content filtering technology. The first instance, run under the Howard government, failed to gain traction when the RFT went unanswered and the trial was aborted.

The government will close the former government's NetAlert content filtering initiative in December, claiming 80 percent of users which install the software did not continue to use it.

"[NetAlert] funding will be redirected to support ISPs making available a filtered Internet service, or 'clean feed', to all homes, schools and public Internet points accessible to children," Conroy said.

Conroy pointed to European nations which have attacked child pornography with content filters and Internet blacklists.