Govt seeks parents’ views on curbing internet porn

Parents are to be asked whether internet pornography should be automatically blocked on computers, Government ministers have revealed.

It is one of several options being looked at to protect children from adult content.

Children’s Minister Tim Loughton says the internet industry needs to do more to help families control what their kids see online.

Children

Mr Loughton said: “Growing numbers of parents do not feel in control of what their families are exposed to online.

“Many want to take responsibility, but all too often they do not know how because they find the technology too difficult to use or their children are more technically advanced than they are.”

He added: “There has been some good progress to date but just as technology does not stand still, nor should we, in making sure our children are protected.

Consultation

“We have always been clear we would turn up the heat on industry if it did not make fast enough progress.”

The Government is launching a ten week public consultation, proposing three possible solutions, on the issue today.

One of the proposed systems would involve a default ban where users who wished to access adult material would need to “opt in” to do so.

Violence

Another of the proposed systems would force users to choose whether or not they wish to install filters and blocks.

The third would present users with a list of content types that will be blocked unless they choose to unblock them with a simple action such as removing a tick from a box.

As well as restricting access to pornographic websites the proposed systems would also restrict access to sites promoting suicide, anorexia, self-harm and violence.

Customers

Last October four of Britain’s biggest internet service providers, BT, TalkTalk, Sky and Virgin Media agreed to make new customers choose between a connection with or without access to adult content as part of the set-up process.

In May it emerged that TalkTalk was planning to go further and make its existing customers choose whether or not to install its filter.

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