As an international community of users and providers of information, we are at a dramatic turning point. Entire structures for the delivery and reception of speech are being transformed. Habits, patterns, laws designed to protect against specific harms are potentially challenged by global, interactive and decentralised services. The conference will examine advantages of online ratings systems and also objections that have been posed by groups that are concerned that if a single rating system is broadly adopted, it will be easier both technologically and legally for governments to mandate ratings regimes or the use of filters, or to ban controversial sites altogether. These codes should meet community concerns and industry needs and operate as an accountability system that guarantees a high level of credibility and quality.
Government agencies can have a role in supporting enforcement.
Fourth, effective self-regulation is not possible without support processes of law making and regulation. Fifth, there should be comprehensive use of rating and filtering technology. To this end content providers world-wide must be mobilised to label their content and filters must be made available to empower guardians and all users of the Internet to make more effective choices about the content they wish to have enter their homes. Sixth, a comprehensive self-regulatory system also requires citizen content response and complaints systems, such as Hotlines, that add to credibility. Seventh, awareness among users of the means to filter and block content, to redress complaints and of the level of conduct that is promised by the industry is crucial to the success of any self regulatory framework.