Internet Service Providers' Association

Changes to Code of Conduct [back]

Freedom of expression

1. ISPA and its members respect the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression.

Privacy and confidentiality

2. ISPA and its members respect the constitutional right of Internet users to personal privacy and privacy of communications.

3. ISPA's members respect the confidentiality of customers' users' personal information and will not gather, retain, sell or distribute such information to any other party without the consent of the customer user, except where required to do so by law.
[Motivation: 'user' is a vague and ambiguous term.]

Consumer protection and provision of information to customers

4. ISPA members undertake to inform their customers that they members of ISPA are bound by this code of conduct. Members' websites must include a copy of or link to the code.
[Motivation: clarify that it is ISPA's members, and not their customers, who are bound by the code.]

5. ISPA members must have an acceptable use policy for their Internet access services. This policy must be made available to customers prior to the commencement of any such service agreement and at any time thereafter, on request.
[Motivation: clarify the application of this clause, for members who not not provide Internet access.]

6. In their dealings with consumers, other businesses and each other, ISPA members must act fairly and reasonably. In particular, pricing information for services must be clearly and accurately conveyed to customers and potential customers.
[Motivation: This requirement should apply to potential customers, as well as existing ones.]

Unsolicited bulk mail

7. ISPA members will not send or promote the sending of unsolicited bulk email and will take reasonable measures to ensure that their networks are not used by others for this purpose. customers also do not send unsolicited bulk email via their networks.
[Motivation: remove possible inference that members should police their customers' networks.]

8. ISPA members must provide a facility for dealing with complaints regarding unsolicited bulk email originating from their networks at member's network and must react expeditiously to complaints received.
[Motivation: edited for consistency with the wording of the previous point.]

Cyber crime

9. ISPA members will take all reasonable measures to prevent unauthorised access to, interception of or interference with any data.
[Motivation: missing comma.]

Protection of minors

10. ISPA members will take reasonable steps to ensure that they do not offer paid content subscription services are not offered to minors without written permission from a parent or guardian.
[Motivation: clarify that there is no onus on members to police third party content services.]

11. ISPA members undertake to provide Internet access customers users with information about procedures and software applications which can be used to assist in the control and monitoring of minors' minor's access to Internet content.
[Motivation: clarify applicability of this clause, so that it doesn't impact members who do not provide Internet access; correct typo.]

Unlawful content and activity

12. ISPA members providing Internet access or data hosting services will establish notification and take-down procedures for unlawful content and activity as defined by law, and respond expeditiously to such notifications.
[Motivation: clarify applicability of this clause; remove reference to legal definitions for consistency -- we haven't said 'as defined by law' anywhere else.]

Internet standards

13. ISPA members will operate in accordance with established Internet best practices, as set out in the various request for comment (RFC) documents and as mandated from time to time by established and respected Internet governance structures.

Alterations

14. ISPA reserves the right to make alterations to this code of conduct from time to time. The current code of conduct and a history of any changes made will be maintained on the ISPA's website.