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Parental Lock – Post-implementation Review –Department of Communications

On 28 July 2010 the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) introduced the Broadcasting and Datacasting Services (Parental Lock) Technical Standard 2010 (Parental Lock Standard) to ensure that digital televisions and digital receivers sold in Australia have a parental lock capability.  A Regulation Impact Statement was required for the proposal but not prepared. As a result, a Post-implementation Review (PIR) has been undertaken in line with best practice regulation requirements.  The PIR found that the Parental Lock Standard has had a low to negligible cost on industry and consumers and that the benefits have also been minor. Given the relatively high level of compliance prior to the introduction of the Parental Lock Standard and the absence of any complaints of non-compliance since then, it was concluded that the measure has been successful in achieving the objective of universal availability of the parental lock in digital televisions and receivers in Australia.  The PIR has been prepared by the Department of Communications and assessed as adequate by the Office of Best Practice Regulation.