Stephen Conroy, Australia's Communication Minister, says that the Federal government will defer the introduction of its mandatory Internet filtering project. The filter will not be put in place until a review can be performed on what kind of content would be banned.

Conroy says that the review is likely to take a year. Nonetheless, leading Internet service providers have agreed to block websites containing child pornography even before the review is completed. Telstra, Optus and Primus will all adopt the measures.

"I applaud these industry members for taking this stance, for stepping up to the plate, in recognition that there is some content that is not acceptable in a civil society, This approach is consistent with what is happening around the world," Conroy said.

The Internet filter project was announced two years ago as part of its cyber-safety program. The project is meant to protect children from pornography and offensive material.

The legislation was slated for introduced in the first half of this year, but was deferred to the later part of 2010. Internet users have been criticized the plan, saying that it will slow download speeds and cause unwarranted censorship.