11 OCT 2011

Claire Perry: Today's Announcement on Internet Porn is a Good First Step

Today, four leading Internet Service Providers, TalkTalk, Sky, BT and Virgin Media announced that they will work together to make it easier for families to block access to internet porn. By October 2012 these companies will offer all new internet customers a service called Active Choice where subscribers must choose whether to restrict the web content that their computers can receive. All of the companies already offer this filtering technology but currently subscribers do not have to choose whether to install it. The group will also sponsor a media campaign to encourage existing customers to install the technology.

Commenting on the news, Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency who is leading a cross-party Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection said:

"I really welcome today's announcement as it shows the British Internet industry are finally taking seriously the problem of children accessing adult content on the Internet. But, there are three very important questions for the ISPs to answer.

As 77 per cent of British households already have access to the internet, how will the companies roll out the product to existing clients? TalkTalk is the only company that has a solution that to allow one-click protection for all internet-enabled devices in the home. When will the other companies introduce this facility?The implementation timetable seems slow given that this is existing technology. Given that 83 per cent of people say that the easy availability of internet porn is damaging to children, shouldn't this be rolled out more quickly?

The only way to fully protect our children is to introduce an Opt-In system but in the meantime, today's announcement is a good first step"

Notes

  • On 24th August, over 60 Parliamentarians launched a Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection, chaired by Claire Perry MP. The inquiry is holding two evidence sessions on Thursday 8th September and Tuesday 18th and will report to No.10 and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in November
  • 77 per cent of households already have Internet access (ONS Internet Usage August 2011)
  • In a YouGov Poll conducted on 2nd – 3rd February 2011, 93% of Women and 73% Men (83% total) believe that the easy availability of pornographic content on the internet is damaging to children.
  • On 23rd November 2010 Claire Perry MP held an Adjournment Debate calling for Internet Service Providers to work together to provide as a default a "clean" internet service, and then ask users to "Opt In" to access pornography on the internet. Hansard source HC Adj, 23 Nov 2010 : Column 235