Some ISPs in New Zealand have started sorting Internet content on behalf of the Kiwi Government.

Stuff reported that the NZ Department of Internal Affairs' (DIA) Internet filter is now ready and is being used by the Internet service providers (ISPs), Maxnet and Watchdog.

The Kiwi Government was not keen to reveal this idea to anyone. Though the filter went live on February 1, the DIA did not declare the news openly.

However, Steve O'Brien, Manager of the DIA's Censorship Compliance Unit, refused that there was any ploy in the launch of the Internet filter. He said that it was tested for almost two years and was exhibited in the display area of the DIA offices for some time.

So far, ISPs who have logged in to use it have informed their customers about it.

It seems there is a problem with the technique the New Zealand Government is using. TechLiberty says that the filtering list is kept a secret, compared to the rest of New Zealand's censorship system where the Chief Censor circulates its decisions of prohibition of offensive matter.