This right is an essential component of a democratic society. Content illegal in one State will be illegal Australia wide . This will be very difficult to interprete and administer. It will inevitably lead to conflicts between jurisdictions and may be unconstitutional. In the university environment there is a further consideration.
Research depends on access to necessary information .
Such information may include publications, print or electronic, which would otherwise be restricted or banned. For example, research on the effects of access to pornography on the Internet requires access to such information. Likewise research in forensic pathology demands the use of illustrations of bodies which many members of the community may find both distressing and objectionable. University libraries must continue to be permitted to make available such information, under appropriate access conditions, to support research. The Principles make online service providers responsible for the content created and published by others .